Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-81). / Value stream mapping is a technique that uses icons to map the flow of product through a manufacturing system. These icons are aided by summary statistics to further detail the specific manufacturing system. The value stream mapping process usually consists of defining the current state of the system and then, using the principles of lean manufacturing, mapping an improved future system state. Although this is the popular technique, variants and refinements of it exist. This work examines the various techniques of value stream mapping and the methods used to evaluate value stream maps to improve manufacturing systems. The past and current research into value stream mapping and the methods to analyze these maps are compared and contrasted. A set of core analysis questions is developed that summarize the various value stream mapping methodologies. The application of these questions to an enhanced value stream map is developed as a tool, hybrid value stream mapping. Hybrid value stream mapping is then used to analyze the current state value stream map of a manufacturing process, the forging of automotive ring gears. The answers to the core analysis questions enabled the identification of weaknesses in the manufacture of ring gears and suggested system-wide problems. To further clarify and suggest means to rectify these weaknesses, methods beyond the scope of value stream mapping were utilized. By using systems based on standard inventory theory, economic production quantities, techniques to improve information visibility, and methods to enhance production equipment savings of over $4.7 million net present value were discovered for the ring gear production process. / by Stephen G. King. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-96). / Companies and academics have known for many years that reducing variation in production processes can decrease production cost, increase product quality, and have substantial impact on overall profitability. Tools to help companies track, assess, and improve variation are numerous and readily available, but gradually an understanding has emerged from implementing these tools that significant amounts of variation cannot be removed from the factory, and the only way to continue to improve cost and quality beyond diminishing returns is to move upstream in the process and design parts and assemblies that are more variation resistant, or maintain quality functionality over a broader range of variation. One methodology emerging to help companies with this task is Variation Risk Management (VRM). The problem with VRM and other methodologies is that they are often treated as side processes that do not get well integrated into the overall product development process. This results in training and improvement activities that optimize VRM on its own rather than maximizing the effect VRM has on the product. In order to do this the initiative failure cycle must be understood, and attention must be focused on information management, management and organizational support, and process like communication and integration. / by Michael A. Parkins. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-63). / Dell, Inc. is well known for its dramatic and continually improving operational performance in terms of unit cost, inventory level, production capacity, and labor efficiency. However, in late 2002, several members of Dell's Americas operations group realized that they did not fully understand what was driving this operational excellence. Therefore, they decided to sponsor an MIT Leaders for Manufacturing internship project to find out. The goal of this project was to "identify and document the essential beliefs, principles, and practices that have contributed to the operations success at Dell". The result of this endeavor is a model which describes four beliefs that are widely shared between members of Dell's operations organizations. These four beliefs (or cultural elements) are, in turn, supported by a set of specific management practices and programs. This model was developed using qualitative organizational research methods including conducting semi-structured interviews, holding focus groups, and gathering individual feedback on a draft version of the model for final validation. In this thesis, the "Dell Operating Model" is described, and each element of the model is shown to support Dell's critical business objectives. The model is then examined through the lenses of three organizational frameworks, and the limitations of these alternate frameworks are discussed. Finally, the applicability of the model to other companies is discussed, and new projects are proposed that will build on this research. / by Blaine Paxton. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-134). / Many manufacturing companies are developing their own production or operating system, particularly in an effort to duplicate the widely renowned Toyota Production System. Toyota has demonstrated its potential for improving productivity and profitability. These same opportunities exist in nearly all companies, manufacturing or otherwise. This thesis explores the application of a similar operating system for a powertrain manufacturing company referred to as the Mighty Motors Company. More specifically, this thesis seeks to discover and explain Mighty Motors' obstacles to making sustainable improvements on the factory floor. The conclusions of this thesis are based primarily on the author's firsthand observations at Mighty Motors' powertrain manufacturing facilities. These data include quotes from interviews, results from factory floor experiments, and observations from improvement projects on the factory floor. The data are then sorted into five categories of observations, which serve as the basis for final recommendations. These five recommendations are suggested as a course of action to overcome the obstacles to making sustainable improvements on the factory floor at Mighty Motors: 1. Go to the floor to make firsthand observations. The best quality data regarding a problem or opportunity on the factory floor is obtained by going to the site in question on the factory floor. 2. Standardize all activities (by making them highly specified according content, sequence, timing, and outcome). 3. Standardizing activities in this way improves the visibility of problems and provides a common basis for improvement. 3. Standardize each link to create one clear, direct, unambiguous signal. Standardizing links (connections) / (cont.) between activities eliminates ambiguity and waste. 4. Solve every problem and make every improvement in accordance with the A3 and the scientific method. Following this scientific approach on the factory floor increases the rate of learning about and improving the processes. 5. Provide sufficient support to the operators by way of a robust help chain. Constant support is required to sustain processes and improvements on the factory floor. These conclusions are then consolidated with the previous models of the Mighty Motors Operating System to provide one unified model for making sustainable improvements on the factory floor at Mighty Motors. / by Gregory David Dibb. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-84). / After the market boom of 2000 in the semiconductor industry changed significantly. The changes included stricter limits on capital cost spending, and the increased propensity of the industry to outsource the manufacturing of semiconductors. Thus, the semiconductor industry demanded greater cost of test economics in semiconductor test equipment. In response to the changes in the industry and the customer demands, the semiconductor test industry segmented itself into two broad strategies. Typically, the large semiconductor test equipment manufacturers employed a broad platform strategy, while the smaller semiconductor test equipment manufacturers employed a niche platform strategy. This thesis confirms the underlying changes in the semiconductor test industry by looking at the entire semiconductor value chain. It also looks at the root causes of the changes in order to determine the future effects of the changes in the semiconductor test industry. This thesis also analyzes the two distinct market strategies, developing a systematic method to compare and evaluate each strategy. In addition, it explores the intangible risks associated with the adoption of each strategy. After understanding the trends in the semiconductor test industry, this thesis also presents a unified model to discuss the future direction of the semiconductor test industry. Looking at this direction, this project develops specific recommendations for businesses to compete effectively given the impending market conditions. / by Robert W. Lin. / S.M.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-78). / Sun Microsystem's Network Storage (NWS) Division provides computer network storage hard disk arrays to accompany Sun's core server products. In recent years, all of the incumbent network storage providers, including Sun, have been squeezed by the combination of competitors encroaching on the low-end of the business and the increased commoditization of storage products. As a result, these incumbents are under pressure to reduce costs significantly, and are scrutinizing their supply chain to identify opportunities to improve performance. Most of the production of these storage products is outsourced through either OEM relationships or contract manufacturing, creating numerous challenges for managing the supply chain. This thesis sets forth a framework for improving supply chain performance, and applies it to the Sun's Network Storage group. The supply chain analysis framework used in this thesis suggests improving a supply chain by analyzing six key elements: Metrics, Benchmarking, Inventory Management, Cycle-Time, Design for Supply Chain, and Supply Chain Structure. Metrics were developed to improve supplier delivery. Benchmarking revealed Sun's competitive position. / (cont.) Inventory management was improved with the implementation of a min-max inventory scheme to select products. Cycle-time was investigated via a direct shipment initiative and test time investigations. The upstream component led to product development recommendations. And the supply chain strategy of postponement of customization concept was developed. Key learnings include the relevance of metrics, the difficulty of moving down market, and a greater understanding of the impact product development has on operations. The research for this thesis was conducted during an internship at Sun Microsystems, within the Worldwide Operations group, in affiliation with the Leaders for Manufacturing program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. / by John M. Clemens. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 56). / Customer perception of brake pedal feel quality, as related to the perception of the brake pedal feeling soft or mushy, depends on both the customer's subjective judgment of quality and the actual build quality of the brake system. This project analyzed the different factors contributing to the soft brake condition using a fishbone diagram. A low cost tool to objectively measure brake pedal feel was developed and tested. Using this tool we found a negative linear correlation between residual air in the brake system and brake pedal feel. Even in the worst-case, a residual air level of 0.9 mL or greater is required before the brake pedal force drops 10%. The air evacuation step in the brake fluid filling process was investigated by the addition of a vacuum accumulator tank, and we found the air evacuation to depend on the brake system cross-sectional area (i.e. tube diameter) and not on the vacuum pressure. Organizational process issues were analyzed, and we found that greater cross-functional communication and collaboration are needed between manufacturing and external groups such as design and marketing. / by Jeffrey T. Cerilles. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-115). / The European Union (EU) passed the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, effective January 2006, banning the sale of electronics equipment containing lead and five other hazardous substances into EU countries. The RoHS Directive is driving an accelerated transition to lead-free technology and products across the electronics industry. Lead is commonly used in component finishes and is a key material in the solder process used to attach components to printed circuit boards. Lead-free technical challenges include implementing significant changes in component plating and circuit board assembly. Although the industry has collaborated to produce viable technical options, various lead-free solutions have trade-offs among cost, reliability, and short-term availability. Given regulatory deadlines and potential loss of EU sales, Sun and others in the electronics industry are impelled to make material and process changes based on less data and information than they would typically act on. Sun's RoHS technical team was staffed from the Central Engineering group and developed RoHS specifications that go beyond basic compliance in order to address known lead-free reliability issues. However, lead-free requirements included in RoHS technical specifications have significant supply chain implications with respect to cost, operations, and strategy in addition to reliability impact. The technical team has the capacity to address general lead-free technology and engineering challenges, but it is not staffed to conduct broader business impact analysis. Industry supply base readiness varies widely; not all suppliers will meet RoHS deadlines and related Sun specifications. / (cont.) Product reliability and cost targets vary, but components and suppliers are common to a range of products. The technical team has experienced supplier and product group push-back in response to certain reliability-driven lead-free requirements. The question of whether Sun's reliability-driven requirements should be implemented uniformly across all products has been raised. In order to address this question and support informed decisions during the transition to lead-free, the team needed to consider the broader business and operations context as well as summarize and communicate relevant technical information. This involved thinking about the impact of RoHS specifications from an operations perspective, assessing relevant industry capability and trends, considering specification modifications or alternatives that would facilitate near term implementation, and considering alignment with longer term supply chain strategy. Additionally, challenges facing the technical team highlight two ways in which the RoHS Directive is setting a precedent in the electronics industry. First, RoHS is an environmental initiative driving significant change across the industry value chain. This raises both tactical issues of how to coordinate and maintain industry consistency and efficiency, and strategic questions of when to collaborate vs. where competitive advantage may be gained. Second, within each company, RoHS impacts virtually all functional groups and cannot be implemented without broad coordination and effort. / (cont.) While this is similar to non-environmental cross-functional initiatives, most companies have not dedicated resources to environmental strategy and planning, nor have they integrated environmental issues into existing functions. Thus the capability to (a) strategically assess environmental activity as an investment with potential returns, (b) proactively drive tactical environmental programs, and (c) make meaningful progress on environmental and social issues is insufficient, contributing to the firefighting nature of RoHS activity and criticism of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. The RoHS initiative illustrates the case for investing resources in forward looking corporate environmental planning and strategy. / by Tamara Greenlaw. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-68). / In any distribution system the processing of inbound material has significant indirect impact upon the customer experience. The inbound process encompasses all the steps to get a product into the distribution center (DC). It starts with the inventory and procurement policies and ends with the product being in a physical storage location at the DC. In order for a product to be sold to a customer it must first be brought through this inbound process (with the exception of drop shipping) and therefore it is important for this to be completed in a timely and predictable manner. However, from the perspective of a given distribution center within a network, there is significant variability of product arriving at the facility. The need to get product into inventory quickly and predictably must be balanced with the significant challenges of handling this variability. The variability can come from a variety of upstream sources: the procurement policies, the vendors/manufacturers, or the inbound transportation providers. At one facility in the Amazon network the day to day standard deviation of variability was approximately 15-30% of units. This variability must be handled efficiently at the facility while balancing all of the other operational goals of the distribution center. The goal of this research is to analyze the inbound system at one online distributor - Amazon.com - to measure the inbound variability and to perform an investigation into methods for handling the inbound variability to the distribution center. This research is applicable to any distribution company looking to manage outbound service levels through improvements on the inbound system. / (cont.) This thesis will focus on two key practical methods for handling the variability in the inbound product arrival: 1. management and scheduling of the labor workforce (labor supply) and 2. managing the release of work into the distribution center (work demand). / by David O. Jackson. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M. in Ocean Engineering)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 58). / Intel's FAB 17 (F17), in an effort to remain competitive and reduce production cycle time, recently committed to adopt lean manufacturing as their approach to continuous improvement. To aid in this effort, the factory staff has dedicated a group people to develop tools based on lean manufacturing principles. Over the last 18 months, they have created three systematic approaches to address various forms of throughput variation, Autonomous Manufacturing (AM), Planned Maintenance (PM), and Waste Elimination (WE). Autonomous Manufacturing focuses on refurbishing manufacturing tools to new or better condition, up-skilling manufacturing technicians, and differentiating abnormal from normal operating conditions. It is meant to address throughput variation as a direct result of old, poorly maintained tools. Planned Maintenance focuses on keeping refurbished tools in new or better conditions, level loading maintenance activities, and minimizing manufacturing tool downtime due to scheduled maintenance activities. It is meant to address throughput variation as a direct result of tool availability variation. Finally, Waste Elimination focuses on optimizing the flow of information, people, and material. / (cont.) It is meant to address throughput variation as a direct result of inefficient flow through the manufacturing process. This thesis provides an overview of F17's lean journey. It shows that F17 has done an excellent job of developing an infrastructure to support their lean transformation. Going forward, their major challenge will be ingraining the new principles into the existing organizational structure. A variation analysis approach uses a simple model of daily production of an operation, several key metrics that relate work in progress (WIP) flow to tool performance, and a graphical display of WIP flow and tool performance. A case study conducted identifies the most probable source of throughput variation as arrivals at one operation, tool performance at another operation, and WIP management at a third operation. / by Sean Michael Holly. / S.M.in Ocean Engineering / M.B.A.