Saturday, July 16, 2022

My Comments on Industrial Engineering Issues in Social Media Forums


16 Julu 2022
Comment by Shahrukh Irani
 
I help any high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturer customize their implementation of Lean

Narayana Rao KVSS   What you are doing is a shot in the arm for our profession. But we cannot promote our profession if we trumpet about the pioneers from the 20th century. Toyota, Lean Enterprise Institute, Shingo Institute ---- they have harmed our profession by promoting their "stuff" as Industrial Engineering. Your postings are unbiased, well researched, honest ---- just do it except please promote the modern day IE stalwarts. Just my two cents opinion.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6953341870781382656/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28groupPost%3A49280%2D6953341870127087616%2C6953358788527632384%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd%5Fcomment%3A%286953358788527632384%2Curn%3Ali%3AgroupPost%3A49280%2D6953341870127087616%29&replyUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28groupPost%3A49280%2D6953341870127087616%2C6953539385556430848%29&dashReplyUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd%5Fcomment%3A%286953539385556430848%2Curn%3Ali%3AgroupPost%3A49280%2D6953341870127087616%29

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6953341870781382656      

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A comment: In US many companies don't know what an IE is or does and the academy lost its way


Reply by Narayana Rao: Possible. I am once again reading development of IE from 1949 through some journal articles. "What is IE?" was examined number of times. Still, the world is not clear about IE. I also made the attempt. I feel explaining IE as system efficiency engineering is better. Basic engineering and management are involved in designing "engineering systems" with effectiveness and acceptable efficiency. IEs are focused on increasing the efficiency of "engineering systems" on a continuous basis. No doubt you can increase effectiveness, matching customer requirements also on a continuous basis.

Do it. It is Real Engineering. Industrial Engineering is Engineering Primarily.
Find 5 new engineering developments every day in elements related to facilities, products and processes in your organization and assess their use for industrial engineering. 
Best Practices in #IndustrialEngineering 
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6946216164469420032

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Nigel Thurlow πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§


Executive Coach | Board Advisor | Interim Executive | Co-Creator of The Flow System | Creator of Scrum The Toyota Way | Forbes Noted Author | Toyota Alumni | Renowned Speaker


❗️Kanban vs The Theory of Constraints❗️ Which is better? Kanban or The Theory of Constraints? Read on and decide for yourself.

I was prompted to create this post by a question sent to me to ask my opinion on this topic as a lecturer had claimed ToC was superior to Toyota's Kanban System.

Now, I will say from the get go, this post will be hugely controversial, so I will immediately highlight that my reference material is Don Reinertsen’s highly regarded work “Product Development Flow” published in 2009. I also took training from Don. He is in my view a true master of Flow mathematics, and probably the best there is.

I also added my Flow buddy Steve Tendon as it’ll just speed up response times 🀭 He's also the main ToC guy on here and will probably vehemently disagree. πŸ˜‰

Quoting variously, paraphrasing where it makes sense for brevity, from pages 147-150 I'll write how Don explains ToC, and in his opinion the better system of Kanban, citing Toyota’s usage of Kanban specifically.

1️⃣ The Theory of Constraints

Page 147 - ToC acts to constrain the total pool of work in progress (WIP) that is upstream of the bottleneck. Goldratt suggests the size of the global pool should only be large enough to ensure that the bottleneck is not starved for inventory. This approach is simple and appealing but is not useful for unpredictable, moving, and limited time duration bottlenecks of product development. Read that carefully Agile folks❗️

Page 148 - Don states two issues with this ToC approach.

1. Only the primary bottleneck is acting as a control so a temporary bottleneck at another process will not generate any control signal until it causes WIP starvation at the primary bottleneck.

2. When the primary bottleneck capacity drops, WIP will tend to concentrate in front of this bottleneck.

2️⃣ The Kanban System of Toyota - Page 148

Kanban has none of these issues. Any emergent bottleneck will begin to send a control signal that throttles its upstream process. This propagates upstream, station by station, rapidly stabilizing the system, with each upstream process holding its maximum WIP. When capacity is regained, there are no WIP starved processes and smooth flow begins immediately.

The key principle in Don's book is W4: If possible, constrain local WIP pools. ToC does not do this as it is not designed to do so. However, Kanban does.

Page 150 - W5 describes how Kanban decouples batch sizes to account for difference economic batch sizes. This is buffer in the system between an upper constraint and zero. ToC does not do this.

Toyota further enhances this effectiveness by cross training workers at adjacent work stations so that when the WIP constraint throttles the upstream process, this frees up capacity that can easily assist the downstream process.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nigelthurlow_lean-leansixsigma-agile-activity-6944251115769126912-sFPJ


Narayana Rao KVSS
Interesting discussion topic and references. "❗️Kanban vs The Theory of Constraints❗️ Which is better?" What is the purpose or context? Facilities improvement (Facilities IE)? Process improvement? or Production planning and control improvement?

Narayana Rao KVSS

Nigel Thurlow πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§,    " I teach both" So should you compare and contrast and when both are simultaneously required? Certain teachers are unnecessarily comparing two simultaneously required activities and are trying to vilify one of them. For instance, effectiveness and efficiency. Both are required simultaneously for revenue and profit.

Nigel Thurlow πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§
Narayana Rao KVSS it’s simply a way to stimulate interest and inquiry. This is social media, not a classroom.

Narayana Rao KVSS
Nigel Thurlow πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Thank you. It stimulated interest and inquiry. I shall inquire further on my own.



Monday, July 13, 2009
On The Principles of Product Development Flow by Don Reinertsen



Six Myths of Product Development
by Stefan Thomke and Donald Reinertsen
From the HBR Magazine (May 2012)
https://hbr.org/2012/05/six-myths-of-product-development

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14.6.2022 - Shahrukh Irani


I help any high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturer customize their impleme

Fellow IEs, how can we rejuvenate our profession? There is a lot of IE that is missing in the Toyota Production System. It just takes for each of use to take an IE textbook, each to identify a chapter whose content matches a lot of what we know about the Toyota Production System, and put those chapters through the "Leanification grinder". Infusing "Lean IE" into the IE we know is going to produce an IE BoK that is much-needed, both by educators (and students) as well as all of us practitioners.

If nothing else, is Lean going to wipe out Industrial Engineering? If yes, then when somebody asks an IE, "Quo Vadis", will their reply be, "My professional grave?".

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shahrukh-irani-8b25a55_introduction-to-work-study-activity-6942196518644850690-gmv0

Narayana Rao KVSS

" It just takes for each of use to take an IE textbook, each to identify a chapter whose content matches a lot of what we know about the Toyota Production System, and put those chapters through the "Leanification grinder"."

We just have to take temporary delays and storage time of process chart and examine ways to minimize them. Cycle time can reduce to processing time + inspection time + transport time. All TPS innovations will enter IE BOK.

News - Information for Industrial Engineering Analysis of Delays in Processes - Lean Inventory Design in Processes

Davie Thomson
Problem Solver | Kaizen Pioneer | Speaker | Facilitator | Polymath

Before 5S or the ensuing wave of Bullshido arrived, with 6S, 7S, 10S or whatever, let’s not forget that Henry Ford, love him or hate him, gave us CANDO.

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14.6.2022 - Osamu Higo

Change Management Professional (Results-driven)

A Toyota one manager once said that TPS (Toyota Production System) is a mass of IE (Industrial Engineering), and if "Lean" comes from TPS, "Lean" is also a mass of IE, I think.
And if so, "Lean" is not only "people" (man/woman), but machine, material, method (so-called 4M of IE).

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6940202854745837568



Osamu Higo
 πŸ”˜ Hein Winkelaar , TPS is IE + Gemba people's ideas.

Narayana Rao KVSS
Professor (Retired), NITIE, Mumbai - Offering FREE IE ONLINE Course Notes

Osamu Higo,  TPS is IE plus rational inventory reduction. Then the best practices for people involvement came into being. Gemba people's idea is not of TPS origin. It is the idea of Taylor and more specifically that of Gilbreth. More systematization was done by Alan Mogensen. Then only TPS practices come and of course, the results were extraordinary.

Osamu Higo
Narayana Rao KVSS , "inventory reduction"? I do not think so. TPS is a mass of IEs, as I explained.

Narayana Rao KVSS

Osamu Higo,  "Mass of IE" IE is basically reduction of resources in say in production. The popular focus is reduction of machine time and man time to produce a unit. Inventory is also a resource which was planned using EOQ model and safety stock formula. Ohno concentrated on Inventory as waste which can be reduced by reducing setup cost that is setup time. Inventory reduction is a major theme of TPS and then many other traditional activities and even new activities. Lot of machine time reductions and man time reductions happened in TPS. Employee involvement increased in TPS. Inventory reduction can be related to "mass of IE", but it is a very special and unique focus of TPS that also became popular as JIT, no inventory production, just in time for delivery to the customer for use.


Osamu Higo
 
Narayana Rao KVSS , "inventory reduction is a major theme of TPS"? I do not think so. There is a misunderstanding about TPS when people say or seek "No stock".
The point is "Flow", and If the stocks (volume) contribute to keep the "Flow", that's o.k. After then, the people need to reduce the level of the stocks, while keeping the "Flow".

Sticking to Ohno' words often does not make sense, why? After the big efforts by the Kaizen men with long journey, they realized the excellent system, and if the people only focus on Ohno (words), they may miss something (Why long journey? What system behind TPS? How about the relationship with the supplier? etc.).


Narayana Rao KVSS

  "Sticking to Ohno' words often does not make sense, why? After the big efforts by the Kaizen men with long journey, they realized the excellent system, and if the people only focus on Ohno (words), they may miss something (Why long journey? What system behind TPS? How about the relationship with the supplier? etc.)."

Yes. I agree with you regarding what is to be done today. What is to be done today is the understanding of today's consultants regarding current TPS or any other system and the client company's situation.

According to my reading of Shingo's books, Ohno's books and the early books on TPS, the focus is on cost reduction. And the special unique focus is on inventory. Inventory was not attacked and reduced to that extent till that time by other companies. TPS reduced machine hours and man hours in the traditional IE way modified by the focus on machine work and engineering improvement. TPS focused on quality to reduce safety stocks and developed Poka-yoke.

Osamu Higo But the improvements are in multiple dimensions and multiple ways in TPS. Today, if some consultants say it is development of people. Some others say it is respect for people. Some say it is Kaizen orientation. They may be correct. For me process improvement and production quantity planning (that is batch size reduction) seem to be the fundamental pillars. Jidoka is process improvement and JIT is production batch quantity reduction to even single piece giving flow production and minimum cycle time. Producing to takt is reduction in inventories.

I interpret that new development in TPS in IE is the unique attack on inventory. In engineering area, they followed original Taylor's focus on machine work and improvement of all engineering elements.

But the improvements are in multiple dimensions and multiple ways in TPS. Today, if some consultants say it is development of people. Some others say it is respect for people. Some say it is Kaizen orientation. They may be correct. For me process improvement and production quantity planning (that is batch size reduction) seem to be the fundamental pillars. Jidoka is process improvement and JIT is production batch quantity reduction to even single piece giving flow production and minimum cycle time. Producing to takt is reduction in inventories.

I interpret that new development in TPS in IE is the unique attack on inventory. In engineering area, they followed original Taylor's focus on machine work and improvement of all engineering elements.


Osamu Higo

Narayana Rao KVSS , basically I agree with your comment.
Based on your opinion, it seems that the people do not need to stick to Ohno (words). Am I wrong?




13 June 2022
Yes. 5s seeks to ensure that workplaces in production plants are #safe, #clean and well #organized.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/florian-palatini_5s-ergonomics-safe-ugcPost-6942045699635068928-sD4Y


14 May 2016

People, processes and technology - I explain it as human effort engineering and system efficiency engineering. Industrial  engineering have to improve technology/engineering processes using both technology and managerial knowledge. I feel two engineering subjects "product productivity engineering and "Engineering processes productivity engineering" have to be made important subjects in IE curriculums to bring out clearly the engineering foundation of IE. Similarly a subject discussing waste being created by managerial processes/actions in technical processes has to be studied to bring out the role of managerial actions in reducing or improving productivity.

In FaceBook discussion
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IIEnet/permalink/10156787029820562/


January 2016
Narayana Rao Kvss: Engineering knowledge is the primary requirement. Industrial engineers have to keep updating their engineering knowledge to improve the products and processes. Lean thinking is industrial engineering only with new emphasis on reduction of inventory.
http://www.iienet2.org/IndustrialEngineer/printerfriendly.aspx?id=41092



27 Feb 2015
IE in Supply Chain Activities
IE is applied to technical processes, business processes, and managerial processes.

Supply or purchasing as well as distribution are more of a business processes. IE can be applied to improve them. But under the philosophy or line of thinking that assumes that suppliers are your partners and you should do every thing to improve their processes to improve the whole supply chain IE applied to mfg processes within a company can be applied in Supplier's company also. So IE of mfg also is applicable in SC activity.

I'll like to know how does Industrial Engineering integrate /connect/relate to supply chain and logistics, I understand it better from the quality and operations/production point of view

Linkedin - Industrial Engineering Network Group
Beatrice Khoete
Industrial Engineering Intern

https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=49280&type=member&item=5970981505470603264&commentID=5976802885567078400&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_5976802885567078400

 I strongly advocate that industrial engineering's main focus is productivity improvement of technical processes. The successful improvement of productivity in technical processes can be extended to the business processes and managerial processes. Industrial engineering itself is a managerial process. Industrial engineering went into a decline all over the world and lost its reputation as it lost its focus on technology and has not made any productivity improvements to any technology in the last so many years. It is only in Japan, that some companies led by Toyota at the top implemented IE in technology and became world class. But still IE profession refused to see the success of productivity improvement of tech processes and we have many other discipline people trying to push their discipline ahead under various names citing Japanese success.

Linkedin - Industrial Engineering Network
Towards the Configuration of an Industrial Engineering Education Field in Colombia from the Critical Didactics Pedagogy

Lexie Scirp
Editor at Scientific Research Publishing
https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=49280&type=member&item=5972531657633185794&commentID=5976798831579328512&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_5976798831579328512

1 comment:

  1. I feel explaining IE as system efficiency engineering is better. Basic engineering and management are involved in designing "engineering systems" with effectiveness and acceptable efficiency. IEs are focused on increasing the efficiency of "engineering systems" on a continuous basis. No doubt you can increase effectiveness, matching customer requirements also on a continuous basis.
    My Comments on Industrial Engineering Issues in Social Media Forums.
    #IndustrialEngineering #Efficiency #System
    https://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-comments-on-industrial-engineering.html

    ReplyDelete