[Towards Best Management Practices for Implementing Manufacturing Flexibility]

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Acknowledgement

I would first like to express my gratitude for my research supervisor, colleagues, and peers and family whose immense and constant support has been a source of continuous guidance and inspiration.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names & surname here], declare that the following dissertation/thesis and its entire content has been an individual, unaided effort and has not been submitted or published before. Furthermore, it reflects my opinion and take on the topic and is does not represent the opinion of the University.

ABSTRACT

Flexible manufacturing system can be defined as a production system, which uses computer-controlled machines, assembly cells, robotic arm and inspection machinery and other material handling equipment and integrated with the computer and storage systems. Can be said to be a comprehensive high-level distributed data processing, automation of logistics flows, and integrated material handling and material storage systems. Such an approach can bring success to the enterprise if it is able to find a market niche, a segment in which no immediate competition. When the company begins in the market to scale up its production, can develop a niche market, which worked initially, and to compete on another of his site. It is important to take care of the acquisition of comparative advantages (to surpass the standards proposed by the competitors on price, production costs, quality, accuracy, delivery, service levels, etc.).

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

INTRODUCTION1

PRACTICES TO IMPLEMENT FLEXIBILITY4

Virtual manufacturing8

Concurrent Engineering8

Management based on uncertainty and change9

Systems Design9

LITERATURE REVIEW10

CONCLUSION12

REFERENCES14



INTRODUCTION

Flexible manufacturing system can be defined as a production system, which uses computer-controlled machines, assembly cells, robotic arm and inspection machinery and other material handling equipment and integrated with the computer and storage systems. Can be said to be a comprehensive high-level distributed data processing, automation of logistics flows, and integrated material handling and material storage systems(Baptista 2006 59).

With the development of technology, times change, and now has entered the information age, enterprises are faced with new issues - the speed, how to meet customer needs as quickly become a major issue. The actual operation of enterprises in the process, the first product will be produced into the warehouse and then sold. The problem was, because of high inventories, resulting in many products need to discount, however, several months ahead of many foreign companies to predict consumer demand, its products and markets are fully synchronized. How does it work within the enterprise to meet changing market needs to buy it? Lean production can be proved to solve this chronic problem(Boyer 2009 824). Lean as a management target is from the environment to new management ideas, and success in practice. It is not simply the application of one or two new management tools, but rather a set of enterprise environment, culture, and management of highly integrated management system, so lean production itself is an autonomous system. How does it solve such problems?

The flexibility is considered the main feature in a production called "Fordist" label, aims to mark the differences from a previous period known as ...