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, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-78). / Amgen's Operations division is responsible for the production, release and distribution of commercial and clinical products. Due to industry consolidation, impending competition and revenue impacts, Amgen is facing the need to rapidly improve the Operations division and align different manufacturing sites. In order to achieve these goals, the Operations Improvement group is leading an initiative to bring about a lean transformation of Amgen's operations.This thesis analyzes the initial operational excellence efforts underway within Amgen Operations. The analysis includes an overview of the process by which the continuous improvement methodology and strategy were constructed, the creation of a training curriculum and the initial implementation of the continuous improvement methodology at specific manufacturing sites. In addition, the thesis explores the environment in which this program operates and the cultural and business drivers that support and detract from the efforts.The following conclusions were developed as a result of the analysis of the lean transformation efforts at Amgen. First, company and industry specific nomenclature is essential to make lean principles contextually relevant for the biopharmaceutical industry. Additionally, relevant metrics are needed to facilitate multi-site alignment and drive the desired behavior. Finally, continuous improvement efforts can effectively leverage a science-based culture by applying it to a new business context. / by Adam Daniel Villa. / 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, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 77). / Cisco's current process for developing and maintaining product-level bills of materials (BOMs) has resulted in inconsistencies in BOM structure leading to product launch delays, increased product support costs, and lower customer satisfaction. Furthermore the complexity of having a large number of different, in effect customized, product solutions for its customers makes it difficult for Cisco's supply chain operations group to drive standardized methods across the over 50 business units. For Cisco's supply chain to operate most efficiently, all Cisco Business Units (BUs) must accurately structure and manage their product-level BOMs. The purpose of this thesis research is to document the as-is BOM structuring and management process, assess the issues inherent with the process today, and develop a new process that will drive standardization across the company and address the inconsistencies in BOM structure that are seen in Cisco today. The thesis work will be divided into three major sections; measure, analyze and improve. First, we will examine four business units (BUs) within Cisco Systems, Inc., which represent the varying complexities of their overall business segments. These example BUs will be studied to look at the impact of the current non-standardized process for developing the product-level BOM structure. Secondly, we will analyze this current process and show its impact on the overall enterprise, focusing on the key stakeholders involved with BOM development. / (cont.) Finally, with these research findings, we will develop a new product-level BOM development methodology. This new methodology will be a criteria-based approach utilizing workflows to organize the process. The new process developed will become the foundation for continuous improvement in BOM development at Cisco Systems, Inc. / by Ryan John Lester. / 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, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-56). / Few companies globally source and manage commercial transportation for frequent and high volumes of explosive cargo for the U. S. Department of Defense. U.S. regulations are strict and economically competitive options are limited. The challenge is even more problematic when the company has not developed an internal capability to efficiently manage logistics transportation. Companies view logistics and supply chain management as crucial to their overall success, though most do not claim it as a core competency. Instead, companies often outsource logistics operations and management to 3rd Party Logistics and other transportation solution providers. This paper explores how a company dealing with frequent shipments of explosive, Department of Defense cargo need not fully outsource logistics operations and management. Rather this paper shows how a company can quickly and cost-effectively improve their internal logistics capability while utilizing the benefits of logistics outsourcing. It is imperative that a company evolving its logistics capability maintain flexibility yet realize the advances in the transportation outsourcing industry. This research is distinctive in that it provides a case study of an organization that utilizes global partners supplying the U.S. Government in substantial volumes and must operate within the confines of hazardous goods regulations and archaic United States Department of Defense shipping regulations. / by Nathan Peck. / 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, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-56). / Bay Networks, like other high tech companies whose competitive advantage lies in the design of their products, has moved to a manufacturing model that relies heavily on outsourcing. Almost all the components of its products, from metal boxes and power supplies, to electronic components and the printed circuit boards on which they reside, are manufactured and assembled by subcontractors. This strategy has been pursued to reduce costs and to increase flexibility. To make this system work effectively, considering the long lead times sometimes associated with networking electronic components, Bay Networks forecasts demand to eliminate a portion of the demand uncertainty. Bay then passes its forecast to the subcontractors so they can deliver material as Bay expects to use it. This model makes the forecasting function of extreme importance when determining whether Bay will end up with too much or too little material. This thesis analyzes the "outsourced" supply chain that Bay Networks currently uses and how forecasting is really the cornerstone of information dissemination within the supply chain. Additionally, this thesis will look very specifically at how demand for the motherboard of a particular networking product is forecast and how it is an example of taking outsourcing too far. Since Bay Networks is forecasting motherboards with a specific memory configuration, before they actually know what the customer wants for memory, they are reworking many boards to effectively meet customer demand. Further analysis will show that forecasting motherboards in the plain vanilla format, i.e. without memory, and configuring with memory only when they receive a customer order, will allow Bay Networks to take advantage of the concept of risk-pooling. With risk-pooling Bay Networks will be able to increase customer service levels with less inventory- a win -win situation considering that the typical tradeoff consists of increasing inventory to improve service levels. Specifically, it will be shown that the optimal level of inventory safety stock for these and other motherboards can be significantly reduced by holding them in a format which allows them to be easily and flexibly configured to satisfy demand when a customer order arrives rather than holding the material in a specific format. / by Scott A. Roza. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (S.M.)--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, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Jennifer A. Rigoni. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--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, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-84). / by Kristie A. Burnham. / S.M.

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, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-98). / by Robert G. Hacking. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. / Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage <http://thesis.mit.edu>. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-66). / The 1990's were a time of downsizing and consolidation for much of the defense aerospace industry. Many defense contractors sought to integrate lean manufacturing principles and techniques into their business, as a means of becoming more cost-competitive in bidding for a shrinking defense budget, and to enable moves into commercial product lines. UTC-Sikorsky Aircraft Company began a series of restructuring and re-engineering initiatives in the late 1990's aimed at addressing these issues. This internship focused on cost reduction in Sikorsky's main product line - the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. The final assembly line for the UH-60 was subject to cost and schedule overruns, along with high inventory levels. The assembly line was also characterized by a high degree of variability, and a major source of variability was believed to be the lack of a defined and repeatable sequence for the installations that comprise final ass~mbly. The introduction of an optimized assembly sequence, and subsequent adoption for daily use by shop floor personnel, was expected to reduce variability and improve performance. The use of a sequence itself was expected to produce the following benefits: 1. Provide a significant improvement in the use of visual tools for line management. 2. Help capture valuable information about installations from workers, and then transfer this knowledge to management, planners, and new workers as personnel are rotated through the factory. 3. Enable significant inventory reduction through introduction of a just-in-time (JIT) material delivery methodology, by linking material delivery to the order in which it is consumed. Implementation was expected to aid in identifying the shortcomings and limitations of the systems that have prevented the use of a sequencing methodology in the past. More importantly, it would elevate the importance of addressing and solving these issues as a means to achieve company-wide goals for cost and inventory reduction. Through implementation of this sequence, key issues were identified: -- JIT inventory levels are difficult to achieve in a large, complex aerospace assembly process, -- The manufacturing system, along with systems and processes which support it, must be capable of supporting JIT prior to implementation (and may need to be redesigned to do so), and -- Process re-engineering to support JIT is best accomplished through a combination of top-down and bottom-up change processes. / by James Aaron Wolters, II. / 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, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-124). / This thesis derives a seven-stage methodology and presents a case study for developing an actionable innovation strategy for manufacturing firms. The methodology is based around a careful examination of their firm's circumstances, or external context and internal praxis. How a firm should innovate is dependent on industry environment, firm activities, technology competencies, internal culture, and its networks-and this thesis aims to develop a "theory of practice" in how to do such circumstance-based strategy. Thus, unlike much of the innovation literature, which push universalistic theories on innovation (e.g., form a Skunkworks to create a new radical product) this work aims to help firms become more innovative by developing strategies unique to their conditions. The methodology has seven modules: 1) stake intent, 2) survey the industry and firm, 3) create an innovation strategy, 4) audit the firm, 5) develop the plan to reinforce the capabilities through its existing culture, 6) execute and measure the plan, and 7) periodically reflect and adjust the plan as the firm's environment change. The case study focuses on modules 2-5. The case company is a midsized aerospace manufacturing-focused firm competing in the thick of the highly competitive global aerostructures market, specializing in airframe control surfaces. It employs a variety of advanced manufacturing techniques, with an emerging focus in carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite fabrication. Undertaking the methodology, the thesis finds that the highly competitive landscape combined with the firm's current market position and capabilities suggest an innovation strategy focused on differentiation (as opposed to low-cost), high levels of collaboration (as opposed / (cont.) to in-house R&D), and architectural innovation (as opposed to component innovation), with a balanced perspective on processes and products, core and new markets, and sustaining and disruptive approaches. The thesis proposes "ideal" capabilities for the company to execute this strategy, audits their current state, and proposes solutions embedded in an actionable, three-phase plan to reinforce them compatible with the firm's existing culture and networks. / by Michael M. Brylawski. / S.M. / M.B.A.

Thesis (S.M.)--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. 83-84). / ABB is a world leader in power and automation technologies working to enable utility and industry customers to improve operations. Competition in these markets is increasing and in order to retain their competitive position, ABB must strive to improve their operations by reducing costs and delivery times. Most ABB factories still operate on push principles with long throughput time, high inventories, and high overhead In order to remain competitive these factories have decided to transform their businesses reduce costs and increase speed. The strategy to achieve this in the power technologies distribution transformer (PTDT) factories is to develop a standard approach to lean manufacturing for implementation in factories around the world. The thesis will describe standard approaches to lean proposed by academics and used by other leading companies; analyzing at the frameworks used including implementation practices, tools, and results. With an understanding of how other companies implement lean manufacturing techniques, this thesis will then describe the creation of a standard approach to lean for ABB PTDT factories, examining the methodology of the approach including the implementation process, common production practices, tools used, and evaluation techniques. Two case studies will be used to describe the implementation of these lean manufacturing techniques at the Monselice, Italy and Zaragoza, Spain factories. Using the Monselice and Zaragoza case studies, along with results seen by other companies, this thesis will analyze the benefits of a standard approach to lean as it relates to the creation of a corporate culture; improvements in implementation results, and increasing ease of implementation. / by Michelle Elisabeth Bernson. / S.M.