Essay on cost effective alternatives in production processes

1. Stops​ ​and​ ​starts​ ​in​ ​manufacturing​ ​production,​ ​supply,​ ​or​ ​any​ ​production​ ​endeavor​ ​is​ ​more
expensive​ ​or​ ​eventually​ ​will​ ​become​ ​more​ ​expensive​ ​than​ ​a​ ​deliberate​ ​continuous​ ​flow​ ​of
processes.​ ​Supply​ ​flows​ ​should​ ​not​ ​be​ ​viewed​ ​from​ ​the​ ​angle​ ​of​ ​process​ ​flow​ ​or​ ​rudimentary
movement​ ​of​ ​goods,​ ​but​ ​should​ ​include​ ​entire​ ​frameworks​ ​for​ ​production,​ ​team​ ​or​ ​departmental
communication,​ ​graduated​ ​blocks​ ​of​ ​gainful​ ​research,​ ​process​ ​redesign​ ​and​ ​improvements,​ ​that
will​ ​be​ ​useful​ ​when​ ​applied​ ​to​ ​varied​ ​organizations,​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​its​ ​base​ ​production​ ​or​ ​services
offering.
Historically,​ ​supply​ ​process​ ​methods​ ​were​ ​used​ ​for​ ​or​ ​by​ ​manufacturing​ ​organizations​ ​because
working​ ​with​ ​lean​ ​specifications​ ​to​ ​allocate​ ​just​ ​enough​ ​funds​ ​for​ ​production​ ​on​ ​a​ ​just​ ​in​ ​time
(JIT)​ ​basis.​ ​But​ ​like​ ​a​ ​cold​ ​damper​ ​on​ ​research,​ ​or​ ​process​ ​improvements,​ ​disasters​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be
foreseen​ ​and​ ​forecasted​ ​with​ ​modern​ ​communication​ ​methods​ ​and​ ​advances​ ​technology​ ​and
speed​ ​of​ ​transmigration​ ​became​ ​something​ ​to​ ​view​ ​from​ ​an​ ​entirely​ ​different​ ​angle.​ ​So​ ​instead
of​ ​planning​ ​to​ ​care​ ​for​ ​scarcity​ ​of​ ​goods​ ​and​ ​materials​ ​after​ ​an​ ​unforeseen​ ​disaster​ ​would​ ​you
not​ ​rather​ ​think​ ​of​ ​secondary​ ​and​ ​other​ ​auxiliary​ ​alternatives​ ​as​ ​has​ ​been​ ​done​ ​in​ ​aviation
engineering​ ​and​ ​marine​ ​engineering​ ​for​ ​decades?​ ​This​ ​simply​ ​means​ ​–​ ​that​ ​a​ ​lean​ ​approach​ ​to
processes​ ​is​ ​not​ ​always​ ​the​ ​cheapest​ ​neither​ ​is​ ​it​ ​always​ ​the​ ​most​ ​cost​ ​effective,​ ​for​ ​working
teams.
For​ ​a​ ​large​ ​operations​ ​group,​ ​whether​ ​is​ ​in​ ​a​ ​manufacturing​ ​setting,​ ​or​ ​an​ ​administrative​ ​or
management​ ​setting​ ​more​ ​than​ ​one​ ​trained​ ​groups​ ​or​ ​teams​ ​cross​ ​trained​ ​professionals​ ​who
are​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​resume​ ​each​ ​other’s​ ​responsibilities​ ​at​ ​a​ ​moment’s​ ​notice,​ ​may​ ​just​ ​be​ ​what
production​ ​teams​ ​need​ ​as​ ​a​ ​viable​ ​alternative​ ​to​ ​lean​ ​management,​ ​to​ ​prevent​ ​friction​ ​in​ ​the
production​ ​momentum.​ ​While​ ​this​ ​concept​ ​is​ ​different​ ​from​ ​the​ ​cross​ ​training​ ​in​ ​a​ ​departmental
unit​ ​it​ ​has​ ​similarities.​ ​While​ ​standard​ ​cross​ ​training​ ​requires​ ​one​ ​original,​ ​and​ ​an​ ​exact
duplication​ ​of​ ​procedures​ ​and​ ​scheduled​ ​execution​ ​methods,​ ​actual​ ​performance​ ​and
operations,​ ​can​ ​suffice​ ​to​ ​fill​ ​in​ ​temporary​ ​instances​ ​like​ ​planned​ ​vacation,​ ​emergencies,​ ​family
leave​ ​of​ ​absence.​ ​However​ ​a​ ​deliberate​ ​and​ ​complete​ ​mastery​ ​of​ ​not​ ​just​ ​one​ ​facet​ ​of​ ​a​ ​position
but​ ​a​ ​complete​ ​mastery​ ​of​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​position​ ​and​ ​function's​ ​is​ ​required​ ​in​ ​the​ ​robust
management​ ​concept.
While​ ​lean​ ​operation​ ​is​ ​desirable​ ​for​ ​many​ ​reasons​ ​like:​ ​cost​ ​effectiveness,​ ​asset​ ​turnover,
capital​ ​turnover,​ ​sustainability,​ ​reduced​ ​duplication,​ ​reduced​ ​material​ ​waste​ ​and​ ​adequate
utilization​ ​of​ ​skills​ ​and​ ​equipment​ ​amongst​ ​many​ ​others.​ ​The​ ​same​ ​reasons​ ​lean​ ​management
styles​ ​are​ ​desirable​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​a​ ​candidate​ ​for​ ​scrutiny​ ​and​ ​observation​ ​with​ ​a​ ​view​ ​to​ ​relying​ ​on
tested​ ​principles​ ​like​ ​just​ ​in​ ​time​ ​(JIT)​ ​delivery​ ​systems,​ ​and​ ​inventory​ ​controls,​ ​single​ ​source
supplies,​ ​global​ ​outsourcing,​ ​shared​ ​services,​ ​and​ ​single​ ​non-duplicated​ ​sources​ ​of​ ​supply.​ ​In​ ​a
world​ ​continuously​ ​seeking​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​pace,​ ​design,​ ​efficiency​ ​at​ ​optimal​ ​cost,​ ​the​ ​wheels​ ​of
supply​ ​and​ ​production​ ​begins​ ​to​ ​thin​ ​with​ ​every​ ​additional​ ​load​ ​and​ ​distress​ ​placed​ ​upon​ ​it,​ ​by
the​ ​same​ ​“improved”​ ​sharpened​ ​and​ ​refreshingly​ ​flawless​ ​system.

2. And​ ​in​ ​situations​ ​where​ ​both​ ​acts​ ​of​ ​“God”​ ​and​ ​“Man’s​ ​recklessness​ ​or​ ​errors”​ ​and​ ​premeditated
evil​ ​has​ ​brought​ ​productivity​ ​to​ ​a​ ​freeze,​ ​requires​ ​not​ ​just​ ​a​ ​cursory​ ​concern​ ​but​ ​a​ ​deliberate
scientific​ ​approach​ ​towards​ ​both​ ​a​ ​contingency​ ​plan​ ​and​ ​a​ ​methodical,​ ​researched,​ ​multileveled
action​ ​plan.​ ​If​ ​a​ ​reliable​ ​supplier​ ​is​ ​at​ ​optimal​ ​performance,​ ​consistent,​ ​safe,​ ​and​ ​of​ ​adequate
quality​ ​not​ ​simply​ ​in​ ​delivery​ ​time,​ ​what​ ​option​ ​does​ ​a​ ​manufacturer​ ​manager​ ​have​ ​when​ ​for
example,​ ​an​ ​unplanned​ ​disruption​ ​occurs​ ​to​ ​the​ ​supplier​ ​who​ ​is​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​fulfill​ ​his​ ​supply
obligation,​ ​because​ ​his​ ​dedicated​ ​line​ ​of​ ​service​ ​providers​ ​had​ ​a​ ​glitch​ ​in​ ​their​ ​operations?​ ​In
such​ ​instance​ ​it​ ​is​ ​evident​ ​that​ ​JIT​ ​will​ ​be​ ​inadequate,​ ​not​ ​just​ ​for​ ​the​ ​mom​ ​and​ ​pop​ ​small​ ​tool
shops​ ​or​ ​small​ ​businesses​ ​with​ ​limited​ ​resources,​ ​but​ ​medium​ ​and​ ​large​ ​organizations.​ ​Hence
overcoming​ ​unpleasant​ ​surprises​ ​requires​ ​secondary​ ​and​ ​auxiliary​ ​teams,​ ​technical​ ​and
managerial.