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Part Three
Planning and control
Figure 15.11 Complexity as a determinant of an appropriate planning and control system
Source: From Voss, C.A. and Harrison, A. (1987) ‘Strategies for implementing JIT’ in Voss, C.A. (ed.) Just-in-Time
Manufacture, IFS/Springer-Verlag. Copyright © 1987 Springer, reproduced with permission.
synchronization can easily cope with their relatively straightforward requirements. As structures
and routeings become more complex, so the power of the computer is needed in order
to break down product structures and so assign orders to suppliers. In many environments,
it is possible to use pull scheduling for the control of most internal materials. Again, prime
candidates for pull control are materials which are used regularly each week or each month.
Their number can be increased by design standardization, as indicated by the direction of
the arrow in Figure 15.11. As structures and routings become even more complex, and parts
usages become more irregular, so the opportunities for using pull scheduling decrease. Very
complex structures require networking methods like PERT (program evaluation and review
technique – see Chapter 16) for planning and control.
Summary answers to key questions
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➤ What is lean synchronization?
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Lean synchronization is an approach to operations which tries to meet demand instantaneously
with perfect quality and no waste. It is an approach which differs from traditional operations
practices insomuch as it stresses waste elimination and fast throughput, both of which contribute
to low inventories.
The ability to deliver just-in-time not only saves working capital (through reducing inventory
levels) but also has a significant impact on the ability of an operation to improve its intrinsic
efficiency.
The lean synchronization philosophy can be summarized as concerning three overlapping elements,
(a) the elimination of waste in all its forms, (b) the inclusion of all staff of the operation
in its improvement, and (c) the idea that all improvement should be on a continuous basis.