Measurable

Key measurable may be defined to focus the researchers energy

towards gleaning the most important information. There are two types of
measurable. The first are absolute measurable, such as defects, and setup
time that can be compared to an absolute standard. Thus, we may say a setup
should not require 8 hours. or a 5! first pass yield rate in not acceptable.
"e cannot allow relati#e measures to be used, because then company may
be satisfied with a $! reduction in set%up time from & days to & day, when
in reality, the set%up could be done in & hour. 'y introducing measurable as
absolute we open the door to truly re#olutionary ideas for impro#ements.
The second type are guideline measurable such as lead time, and floor
space. These measurables are only important if they are referenced to a
particular part or process. (ne cannot say that &, square feet of floor
space is too much or too little without )nowing what manufacturing system
that space houses. This di#ision of measurables *see the summary for a
listing of all the measurables+ will facilitate finding ways to impro#e the
system to reach the relati#e optimum le#els in the guideline measurables,
and the absolute optimum le#els in the absolute measurables.
The measurables can also be categori,ed into the three le#els of a
production system. -ertain measurable are tied to the system le#el, some to
the subsystem le#el, and others to the machine le#el, on a macroscopic
system le#el, the measurables include cost, quality *usually some number of
defects or defecti#e parts per million, and rewor) time+, lead time and
fle.ibility. There are two different categories of defects that cost a company
dollars and time. The first are defects made in the plant which can be
corrected in the plant before the product reaches the consumer. They will be
termed /nternal 0efect -osts */0-+. The second sets of defects are those that
are disco#ered by the customer. 1ll warranty rewor) is included in this
category which will be termed 2ost 2rocessing 0efect -osts *220-+. There
are also two different lead times which are important, namely (rder 3ead
Time *(3T+ and 4anufacturing 3ead Time *43T+. (3T includes product
design and thus measures the time from first concept all the way through to
finished product. 43T measures the time from production of the wor) order
or product request through final deli#ery.
(ther measurables that will be collected are5 6loor space *for each
product line, or group of products+, setup time *which will be di#ided into
e.ternal and internal setup times+, and "or) in 2rocess *in both units and
dollars *appro.imate++. These measurables will help to e.plain the state of
affairs in both quality and lead time. /f one is loo)ing for non%leanness or
wastes, it will usually be found in the form of long lead times, or defecti#e
products. /n a lean company, good products are produced when needed and
in the form and quantity needed.
The microscopic issues of importance include ergonomics, tool paths,
fi.turing and changeo#ers *which are lin)ed+, and process #ariation. The
microscopic and macroscopic le#els are tightly integrated, and should not be
approached separately. (ften the system or plant layout will be built around
indi#idual operations, and process characteristics. /f one attempts to separate
the system from the indi#idual operations there will ine#itably be a loss of
information.
Summary of Measurables
Absolute
/nternal 0efect -osts% -osts incurred due to defecti#e parts that are
either scrapped or must be rewor)ed.
7.ternal 0efect -osts% -osts incurred on parts that are returned by the
customer and must be rewor)ed or replaced. /ncludes all warranty
rewor).
7scapes *internal and e.ternal+ % number of defecti#e units that reach
the customer. /f the customer is another plant of the same company, it is
an internal escape. /f the customer is outside the company it is an
e.ternal escape.
'ac)log of ordered units% 8uantity of units that ha#e been ordered but
not deli#ered.
-hangeo#er time% The quantity of time between productions of two
different types of parts. The quantity of time that a process is not
producing parts because it is being reconfigured for the ne.t product.
(ne time deli#ery percentage% The percentage of all deli#ered parts
that are deli#ered on or before the due date.
Guideline
0irect and indirect labor per part
(rder 3ead Time
4anufacturing 3ead Time
6loor 9pace% The area, in square feet, that a gi#en machine, process,
cell, or product line co#ers.
:umber of changeo#ers *for a gi#en process, per wee) or per day+%
The frequency that a gi#en machine or assembly line or station must stop
production to change o#er to a new product.
;nits produced *per day, per month+ % The number of units that are
shipped per day or per month.
"or)%/n%2rocess *in units and dollars+% The quantity of units or dollar
equi#alent of all parts in the factory, including all raw materials, and all
parts partially or completely processed, but not shipped.
/nspection 9tations% :umber of stations where the part is inspected by
an employee dedicated to inspections
4anpower% The distribution of manpower at #arious stations of the
process, including direct and indirect labor.
Analysis Approach
;pon entering a factory, the best way to understand how product is made
from raw materials to shipping is to de#elop a process flow map for the
product of interest. The process flow map is made by classifying all plant
acti#ities into the four groups listed abo#e *processing, storage, transport,
and inspection+. 7ach of the four acti#ities is gi#en a symbol. The result is a
process map with the 2rocess flow on the <%a.is and the (peration flow on
the =%a.is. The distinction between a process and an operation is not one of
time scale> the two ha#e different sub?ects of study. 1 process is a flow of
product from raw materials to finished parts. (perations are the actions of
man or machine, and what they do to the product. /n our analysis, we will
label the <%a.is 9ystem, rather than 2rocess, which will allow us to include
areas of the factory that are not a part of processing, such as mar)eting and
design.
1fter completing this macroscopic process flow map, one must brea)
the processing down further into indi#idual motions, as shown in 6igure @.
6or e.ample, analysis of a machining step would be accomplished by a time
study of the operation at that process step, including e.amination of the tool
path, set%ups, and fi.turing. 0issecting indi#idual operations also includes
noting how many degrees of freedom the machine or part has in the
operation, and how the parts are handled between machines or assembly
steps. This reduction of the processing into basic )inematics allows one to
see e.actly what is, and what is not required to ma)e the part *what adds
#alue from the eyes of the customer+. /t will also allow one to see how
defects are made, and thus how they can be pre#ented.
9torage
Transport
1ssembly
/nspection
1ssembly
/nsert
"asher
/nsert mounting
2late
2lace sensor
(n late
9older
-onnections
/nsert mounting
9crews
"arehouse
9torage
Transport housing
6rom warehouse
/nsert sensor
Test sensor
Transport to
9tation @
9older
-onnections
Transport to
-apping station
/nstall cap
Transport to final
inspection station
6inal
inspection
ship
9ystem
(peration
Figure 2. Process Map of an assembly process