Quote:
Originally Posted by JusTheG
Okay okay, let's not try to assume we are literally talking Lean in CONTEXT with the argument of Sale Goals for Automotive Companies.
If you want to talk Lean, you have to include Analytics to justify the loss in Headcount and Operational Overhead for the reduction in Labor Cost. Every company that manufactures, especially in High Labor regions like the U.S. and Europe, have to cost-evaluate the necessary expenditure for running Lean with the justification for an optimal Run-in Rate for Production. If you think Six Sigma is the only method towards Lean Manufacturing, that is only a Tool to help achieve Lean Manufacturing with high efficacy methods to resolve problems. Just like AGILE and Kaizen, these are just solutions a company can employ for Problem Solving and Resolution for Permanent Corrective Action to save the Company and Customer money for Production.
If you want to talk Lean for affected sales, talk about how prevalent Turnover affects Run-in rate Capability in any industry. If you want to talk about Industry 4.0 for the future of automation and reducing headcount, then you have to account for Robot GRR and Capability to discuss efficient models of operation with current equipment. No one likes to spend money on more equipment that will not be compatible with pre-existing or retrofitted equipment, coupled with depreciation. That's why carmakers keep running the same designs and features as long as they can before updating tooling/processes for the next generation.
Yes, you do have a lot of Excels, Minitab Projects, 5Why's, etc. that pool into extreme amounts of documentation that will possibly never see the light of day for optimization into a cohesive Cloud/PDM but Companies are trying. That still doesn't mean a company like Toyota will negate the means for improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) to yield better results in terms of Quality, Run-in Rate, or a combination of both for getting more Cars out to consumers based on projected sales/heijunka. There are methods to the madness and thus how companies survive after year after year, not just on sheer guesses.
|
Lean manufacturing is what helps Toyota keep cost down, which in return means they can take that savings and reinvestment it back into the company or pass that along to their stakeholders. The money reinvestment is used for automation, r&d, etc.
However, having lean manufacturing doesn't mean that Toyota is great at reading the market and creating sales goals. That is my whole point. Most of u guys are putting Toyota on a pedestal and think they are god when it comes to creating sales goals. Truth is, most of these guys just pull a number out of their butts (mainly with "guidance" from the sales team) and make it work. Like some members said before, ppl here says the twins are a success because they hit their sales goals, but I'd have to wonder if that goal even made sense from the start.
Btw, kaizen is a general term for continuous improvement... It is not a tool for lean manufacturing... Six sigma and agile are tho, so I'll give u that
