January, 24

Just in Time (47)

Key vocabulary

 

1．    just in time－准时制生产/适时反应战略 (略作 JIT), 指建立在力求消除一切浪费和不断提高生产率基础上的一种生产理念. 它覆盖了从产品设计直到产成品发送一整套的生产活动. 只要这些活动是出产一件最终产品所需要的, 包括从原材料开始的各个在制品生产阶段, 都必须向消除一切浪费、不断提高生产率的目标看齐.

2．    Crunch=危机

3．    Obligate=make a person do something because it is the right thing to do

4．    Cost efficient=cheap, not expensive

5．    Redundancy=layoff, the ending of worker’s employment

6．    Implement=put a plan into action

7．    Lead time=the time between the beginning of a process and its end

8．    Efficiency=the ability to produce something more quickly

9．    Work station=an area where a person works and does his job

10． Given=used to refer to a specific time, place or thing

11． Defective=having a mistake or error that makes something not perfect

12． Defect=a mistake or error that makes something not perfect

A: I called this meeting today in order to discuss our manufacturing plan. As I’m sure you are all aware, with the credit crunch, and the global financial crisis, we are obligated to look for more cost efficient ways of producing our goods. We don’t want to have to be looking at redundancies. So, we have outlined a brief plan to implement the just-in-time philosophy.

B: We have to basic points that we want to focus on. First of all, we want to reduce our lead time.

C: Why would want to do that? I think this is not an area that really needs to be worked on.

B: Well, we want to reduce production and delivery lead time for better overall efficiency.

A: Right, production lead times can be reduced by moving work stations closer together, reducing queue length, like for example, reducing the number of jobs waiting to be processed at a given machine, and improving the coordination and cooperation between successive processes. Delivery lead times can be reduced through close cooperation with suppliers, possibly by including suppliers to locate closer to the factory or working with a faster shipping company.

C: I see, that makes sense.

B: The second point is what we want to require supplier quality assurance and implement a zero defects quality program. We currently have far too many errors that lead to defective items and therefore, they must be eliminated. A quality control at the source program must be implemented to given works the personal responsibility for the quality of the work they do and the authority to stop production when something goes wrong.

C: I’m with you on this one. It’s essential what we reduce these errors; we’ve got to force our suppliers to reduce their mistakes.

A: Exactly, well ,lets look at how we’re going to put his plan into action.