STRATEGIC PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

Strategic Planning and Implementation



Table of Contents

IntroductionError! Bookmark not defined.

Background5

Development of the JIT quality matrices10

The objectives of JIT10

Discussions17

Conclusions and Recommendations20

References22

Strategic Planning and Implementation

Introduction

The design of manufacturing systems requires a proper analysis of the issues involved from strategic, tactical, and operational perspectives. There are many manufacturing strategies that have surfaced recently which are the major force behind the success of an enterprise both in Japan and the USA. The objectives of strategic planning including understanding the benefits of strategic planning; understanding the products of strategic planning; and learning the keys to successful planning and implementation.

Many organizations spend most of their time reacting to unexpected changes instead of anticipating and preparing for them. This is called crisis management. Organizations caught off guard may spend a great deal of time and energy "playing catch up". They use up their energy coping with immediate problems with little energy left to anticipate and prepare for the next challenges. This vicious cycle locks many organizations into a reactive posture.

It does not have to be that way. A sensible alternative is a well tested process called strategic planning which provides a viable alternative to crisis management.

Strategic planning is a step by step process with definite objectives and end products that can be implemented and evaluated. Very simply, it is a process by which we look into the future, paint a picture of that future based on current trends, and influence the forces that will affect us.

Strategic planning looks three to five years ahead. It charts a definite course based on strong indicators of what the business environment will be like in those years.

Indicators include census demographic statistics, economic indicators, government policies, and technological advances. They reveal strong trends regarding changes in lifestyles and the economic and political climates, which are important factors influencing the facilities planning and management industry. Some of these trends are potential opportunities, some potential threats, and some are both. Examining the possibilities and formulating strategies to meet the challenges can help the organization take full advantage of opportunities and minimize threats. In short, we can take control of the future. We can use our energies and resources more effectively and conduct our business more successfully, despite changes in the environment.

In order to enhance competitiveness and efficiency of manufacturing operations, many companies are looking at implementing key strategic technologies. Some notable key strategies are just-in-time (JIT), synchronous organization (SO), synchronous manufacturing (SM), etc. However, their impact on improving quality and reducing time-to-market has been mixed. Less success has been reported from their actual implementation than originally anticipated, compared to what the Japanese seem to have conquered using similar philosophies. Some of the strategic programmes have actually failed in the USA during their implementation stage, or at best can be said to have only reaped partial benefits. It is not very clear why in some cases results were poor, when in a similar situation elsewhere, programmes have been proved to work ...