Some 70 percent of U.S. manufacturing output currently faces direct foreign competition. While American firms understand the individual components of their manufacturing processes, they must begin to work with manufacturing systems to develop world-class capabilities. This new book identifies principles - termed foundations - that have proved effective in improving manufacturing systems. Authored by an expert panel, including manufacturing executives, the book provides recommendations for manufacturers, leading to specific action in three areas: Management philosophy and practice; Methods used to measure and predict the performance of systems; and Organizational learning and improving system performance through technology. The volume includes in-depth studies of several key issues in manufacturing, including employee involvement and empowerment, using learning curves to improve quality, measuring performance against that of the competition, focusing on customer satisfaction, and factory modernization. It includes a unique paper on jazz music as a metaphor for participative manufacturing management. Executives, managers, engineers, researchers, faculty, and students will find this book an essential tool for guiding this nation's businesses toward developing more competitive manufacturing systems.
Foreword
Preface
Part I : Report of the Committee on Foundations of Manufacturing
Executive Summary Chapter 1. : Introduction Chapter 2. : Overview Chapter 3. : Management Practice Chapter 4. : Measuring, Describing, and Predicting System Performance Chapter 5. : Organizational Learning and Improving System Performance Chapter 6. : Educational and Technological Challenges
Part II : Globally Competitive Manufacturing Practices Chapter 7. : Involvement and Empowerment: The Modern Paradigm for Management Success Chapter 8. : Implementation Projects: Decisions and Expenditures Chapter 9. : Benchmarking Chapter 10. : Improving Quality Through the Concept of Learning Curves Chapter 11. : Organizing Manufacturing Enterprises for Customer Satisfaction Chapter 12. : Customer Satisfaction Chapter 13. : The Interface Between Manufacturing Executives and Wall Street Visitors-Why Security Analysts Ask Some of the Questions That They Do Chapter 14. : Taylorism and Professional Education Chapter 15. : The Integrated Enterprise Chapter 16. : Time as a Primary System Metric Chapter 17. : Communication Barriers to Effective Manufacturing Chapter 18. : Are There “Laws” of Manufacturing? Chapter 19. : Taking Risks in Manufacturing? Chapter 20. : Constant Change, Constant Challenge Chapter 21. : Manufacturing Capacity Management Through Modeling and Simulation Chapter 22. : The Power of Simple Models in Manufacturing Chapter 23. : Improving Manufacturing Competitiveness Through Strategic Analysis Chapter 24. : Going to the Gemba Chapter 25. : Jazz: A Metaphor for High-Performance Teams
Consolidated Bibliography
Committee Membership
Biographies of Contributing Authors
Index