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 (p. 77-78). / Biopharmaceutical companies are focusing on operational efficiency more than ever before due to cost pressures, generic competition, complex pricing, regulations, and globalization. Due to the low probabilities of success of drug development and achieving market penetration, it is critical for a company to optimize the sizing of a manufacturing facility to achieve maximum capacity utilization while avoiding or minimizing non-productive, idle capacity. In order to achieve high manufacturing efficiency and minimize capital risks, many firms elect to outsource various phases of the drug development value chain. This thesis investigates the major drivers for vertical integration and outsourcing in the biopharmaceutical industry. This work examines outsourcing and vertical integration decisions including their financial, organizational, and strategic effects on the organization. It presents a methodology and framework for strategic sourcing decisions and includes a set of quantitative tools for assessing outsourcing options and guidelines for selecting, implementing, and managing relationships with contract manufacturers. These frameworks are applied to case studies conducted at the Genzyme Corporation. The strategic sourcing decisions tools developed in this work are highly customizable and can be adopted by other companies in the biopharmaceutical industry. / by Lynne Felice Haupt. / 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, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 71). / This thesis studies the opportunities for the application of lean manufacturing tools in a high- mix, low-volume traditional manufacturing factory floor setting. Value stream mapping and associated analytical tools are used to explore the opportunities to streamline the flow of products on the floor with a focus on reducing inventory and improving quality. To complement the analysis, this thesis also examines the impact of improved floor employee involvement. It considers several aspects including the increased empowerment of the direct labor staff, stronger team participation, and a greater focus on solutions specifically tailored to area. Based on the results of the research, the recommendation is an increased focus on developing team skills and empowerment, specifically within the direct labor staff. / by Amber N. Dudley. / 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 Chemical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 85). / The content of this thesis draws heavily on work completed during a 6.5 month MIT Leaders for Manufacturing (LFM) internship at Dell Corporation's personal computer manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee (EG1) from June 2004 to December 2004. This work relates primarily to efforts to analyze and improve the throughput of the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) in that factory. Wherever possible, the thesis abstracts from the EG1 factory case study to provide lessons for improving the throughput of ASRSs and accumulative manufacturing systems in general. In addition to this core of the thesis, specific implementation challenges encountered during the EG 1 case study are addressed. Finally, general cultural observations about Dell's manufacturing environment are discussed. The author believes the two most unique aspects of this work are the Crane Frontier framework developed for analyzing ASRS throughput (Section 2.6) and the range and taxonomy of ASRS throughput improvement solutions (Chapter 3). / by G. Thomas Heaps-Nelson. / 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. 59-60). / The 787 program is the latest airplane development program in Boeing Commercial Airplanes. In this program, many new business processes, including a new supply chain structure will be implemented. Based on my six-month internship in Boeing, this thesis will address two critical supply chain issues that the 787 program currently faces and offer recommendations. The two issues are as follows: * Boeing currently plays a very active role in managing the ordering and scheduling protocols for drop-shipped components. Drop-shipped components are parts that are ordered by Boeing but to be delivered to another supplier or subcontractors for installation and assembly. Current processes will not be adequate to handle the large amount of drop-shipped components in the 787 program. It is recommended that Boeing sets up a supplier portal to manage the interactions with and between partners. * Current non-compliance management processes for drop-shipped components are not efficient enough for the 787 program. To solve this problem, it is recommended that Boeing devotes dedicated resources to work with individual structural partners on their sites to facilitate managing the non-conformance processes. / by Yun Yee Ruby Lam. / 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 Ocean Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-97). / Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America (TMMNA) is continuing to face an increasingly competitive automobile market. To meet these evolving market conditions, TMMNA has experienced rapid growth in demand for its automobiles in North America. To meet this demand, Toyota has rapidly grown from three assembly plants in the mid- 1990's to its current total of six assembly plants (five in operation with one being built). This has led to many management challenges, including communication, knowledge sharing, and knowledge retention that many companies experience when faced with rapid growth. In order to respond to these challenges, Vehicle Production Engineering (VPE) Assembly, a department within TMMNA, has attempted to develop a process through which it can standardize its processes and capitalize on best practices across the many North American plants. This thesis studied the process through which VPE Assembly develops and installs assembly line equipment for major automobile model changes. This study included observation of the Toyota product development process and how this process is carried out within VPE Assembly. This research revealed that the assembly line equipment process employed by Toyota is well suited for this organization. However, there are improvements available that could improve the overall process and bring automobiles models to the market more quickly. Communication between the different plants could be improved. Additionally, much knowledge learned from completed projects is not being shared fully between the various plants. Suggested improvements to address these problems are discussed. / by Cale M. Holman. / 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. 73). / In the face of growing competition in the Tantalum business, H.C.Starck's management is minimizing the delivery time for custom-made capacitor-grade tantalum wire products. H.C. Starck, Inc., Newton, Massachusetts faces challenges in its production environment to meet customer demand in an effective manner. Specific challenges include poor forecasting abilities, variation in customer demand, long component lead time, and expensive components. For this study, the desired delivery time reduction is to be achieved by establishing intermediate inventory buffers, setting appropriate inventory targets in an order-up-to-level inventory management model that considers sources of variation, time requirements, and customer service goals. We addressed a number of goals. First, we tied demand variability into traditional demand- focused models. Second, we develop more standardized and simplified inventory targets. Finally, we develop a production scheduling system that smoothes production, simplifies the scheduling process, and helps in achieving desired customer service level and the inventory targets. / by Andrey L. Slivinskiy. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-71). / The impact of the sourcing function on the profitability of U.S.-based manufacturing firms is more significant than ever. Today, the purchased component of the cost of goods sold for many firms is more than fifty-percent of sales.' As the volume of purchased material grows every year, and the sourcing function impacts corporate profitability more and more, it has become critical that effective analysis techniques and cost models are used in the development and execution of sourcing strategies. Perhaps the most critical element of the sourcing process is the determination of the optimal supplier or portfolio of suppliers who will be responsible for providing purchased materials. This thesis explores the allocation of outsourced material demand to the supply base in the aerospace industry. A significant portion of this research involves the development of a framework to support a strategic sourcing organization in the determination of the most appropriate portfolio of suppliers for a group of similarly manufactured parts. This framework combines total cost sensitivity analysis and demand allocation programming. / (cont.) The results of this thesis are intended to present sourcing managers with a framework that can be applied when comparing U.S.-based manufacturers to low-cost international suppliers. The total cost sensitivity analysis enables the sourcing manager to evaluate the impact of supply chain dynamics including tax rates and currency fluctuation, as well as variations in supplier performance on procurement decisions. Using the total cost model output, a sourcing manager is then able to apply the demand allocation programming model to determine the optimal supplier portfolio given aerospace industry constraints and the operational requirements of the organization studied. The demand allocation programming model is developed as a mixed integer linear program (MILP). The basis for the thesis analysis was a six month internship with a major U.S. aerospace OEM. The research was based on hands-on commodity management experience, literature review, and work with sourcing, finance, and operations professionals. / by Jason R. Kary. / 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, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 100). / Sikorsky Aircraft is undergoing a lean transformation as its helicopter blade line is relocated from Stratford to Site B. Value Stream Mapping is a vital tool to eliminate sources of waste in the existing blade shop and to create a vision for the future state production system. This thesis briefly focuses on the enterprise to provide a sound understanding of the business and aerospace industry, describing the flow of information from customer proposal through product delivery. Detailed value stream maps for the main and tail rotor blades are then analyzed from an operations perspective to uncover major time and process delays. Implementation is a topic of in-depth review within this thesis. As a management tool, Value Stream Mapping does not reinforce roles, responsibilities, and accountability to achieve the future state vision. Therefore, a set of guidelines are followed to coordinate kaizen initiatives. Examples consist of matrices to quantify and prioritize opportunities, charters to organize teams and deliverables, and work plans to track progress and metrics. The introduction of management tools aid in satisfying monthly throughput targets while establishing a precedence for upcoming lean programs. / (cont.) The thesis concludes with the design of a lean production system, which includes a new cellular layout. The future operating system is intended to align Sikorsky's lean flow philosophy with manufacturing capabilities. Recommendations to further enhance factory operations are evaluated in the final chapters along with an action list for on-going projects. A wrap-up for sustaining change is also discussed through a formal critique of the management organization. / by S. Neil Bar. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-122). / Honeywell Aerospace has been a leader in manufacturing high quality engines to customers for decades. With engine and auxiliary power unit (APU) growth of-9% in 2005, and projected growth similar or greater for 2006, however, some segments of the business are experiencing difficulty in delivering engines on time to customer request dates. In the spirit of Lean Enterprise, Honeywell must to deliver value to its customers by stepping back and analyzing the entire value stream. Enterprise-level optimization of supply chain, assembly, and test practices will lead to the greatest benefit to both internal and external stakeholders. This thesis explores the issues within one segment of the Aerospace business - specifically, new engine and APU deliveries -- as well as internal initiatives to drive high quality and lean manufacturing. A Lean Enterprise Self Assessment Tool survey was conducted to highlight opportunities to propel Honeywell to a culture of high performance. Both high-level multi-million dollar opportunities, as well as low-budget, improved processes and communication initiatives will be discussed. Ultimately, the Honeywell Aerospace Engine Assembly and Test Center of Excellence must sacrifice narrow use of lean tools for wide ranging promotion of lean principles, thereby improving the overall value delivery to all enterprise stakeholders. / by Andrea Jones. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; and, (S.M.) -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-112). / This thesis explores the application of commercial best practices for new technology development within the constraints of the defense contract funded research and development (R&D) environment. Key elements of successful new product development (NPD) are identified from the literature, including strategic fit, organizational structure, financial considerations, and use of Stage-GateTM type processes. Constraints, conflicts, and issues which arise in the defense contract funded R&D world but not in the commercial world are explored, including a multiplicity of funding sources, short funding cycles, and ambiguous ownership of go/kill decisions and gating criteria. Existing defense industry Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and new Engineering and Manufacturing Readiness Level (EMRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) metrics are evaluated as potential gating mechanisms relevant to the defense industry. We determine that the EMRL and MRL metrics meet many of the criteria necessary for good NPD gates, but they must still be supplemented by commercial best practices such as ensuring strategic fit, good organizational structure, financial attractiveness and competitive evaluation. / (cont.) A resulting combined framework of "soft" and "hard" criteria is applied to a case study of an optical component currently under development with contract R&D dollars. The output of this study helped to shape strategic decisions regarding this component and to identify next steps in the technology maturation roadmap. Application of these frameworks in defense should ensure that future successful technical performance is also supported by an appropriate business strategy and by a process maturation plan for manufacturing consistent with the upcoming Department of Defense (DOD) MRL requirements. / by Monica K. Davis. / S.M.