Lean Manufacturing (LM) is widely accepted as a world-class manufacturing paradigm, its currency and superiority are manifested in numerous recent success stories. Most lean tools including Just-in-Time (JIT) were designed for repetitive serial production systems. This resulted in a substantial stream of research which dismissed a priori the suitability of LM for non-repetitive non-serial job-shops. The extension of LM into non-repetitive production systems is opposed on the basis of the sheer complexity of applying JIT pull production control in non-repetitive systems fabricating a high variety of products. However, the application of LM in job-shops is not unexplored. Studies proposing the extension of leanness into non-repetitive production systems have promoted the modification of pull control mechanisms or reconfiguration of job-shops into cellular manufacturing systems. This thesis sought to address the shortcomings of the aforementioned approaches. The contribution of this thesis to knowledge in the field of production and operations management is threefold: Firstly, a Multi-Agent System (MAS) is designed to directly apply pull production control to a good approximation of a real-life job-shop. The scale and complexity of the developed MAS prove that the application of pull production control in non-repetitive manufacturing systems is challenging, perplex and laborious. Secondly, the thesis examines three pull production control mechanisms namely, Kanban, Base Stock and Constant Work-in-Process (CONWIP) which it enhances so as to prevent system deadlocks, an issue largely unaddressed in the relevant literature. Having successfully tested the transferability of pull production control to non-repetitive manufacturing, the third contribution of this thesis is that it uses experimental and empirical data to examine the impact of pull production control on job-shop performance. The thesis identifies issues resulting from the application of pull control in job-shops which have implications for industry practice and concludes by outlining further research that can be undertaken in this direction.

This thesis examines barriers to the implementation of Lean production systems in China. The aim is to evaluate how implementation barriers affect a Lean production system, and whether they can be explained by Chinese national context factors. The thesis also aims to investigate the mechanisms by which such context factors influence the barriers. A socio-technical systems (STS) perspective is taken to interpret the relative importance of, and the interplay between, the social and the technical barriers to Lean implementation in China. To achieve the aims of the study, a multiple case study approach was chosen. I collected data at two Chinese plants of a globally-operating German automotive supplier in Suzhou and Changsha. As the main method of data collection, I conducted sixty qualitative interviews with Chinese and Western employees during a two month research trip to China. Using an iterative procedure of data collection and analysis, I developed a model that captures barriers to implementing Lean in China, the effects of these barriers on the production system, and influential context factors. Based on respondents perceptions, I identify six main implementation barriers, namely: High employee turnover , Weak supplier performance , Market conditions , Lack of Lean knowledge , Intercultural communication , and Work styles . The analysis highlights the effects of the barriers on specific elements of the Lean production system, and mechanisms by which the context factors influence the barriers. By exploring these mechanisms, I found strong evidence that Chinese context factors act as root causes or catalysts for the implementation barriers. The findings are corroborated through a comparison of the results obtained from the two locations in China, reports by Western and Chinese employees, and respondents at different hierarchical levels of the organisation. Through the Lean implementation model, this research contributes to the literatures on international Lean manufacturing and socio-technical systems. The study is the first to provide detailed empirical evidence of six main barriers, and to describe thoroughly why each barrier was a burden for Lean. The thesis also contributes to the Lean literature by demonstrating how the national context of China can create barriers and therefore play a significant role when implementing Lean in China. The central claim of the study is therefore that implementation barriers do exist in China and that a greater focus on these barriers is required in order to gain a better understanding of Lean implementation in this context. With regard to STS theory, the study highlights that the main perceived barriers to Lean implementation were situated within the social sub-system of Lean, and that some aspects of the barriers were created through a lack of joint optimisation of the social and the technical sub-system. The study therefore shows that STS theory is applicable to the context of Lean systems, and that it facilitates our understanding of barriers to the socio-technical Lean system. The study yields recommendations on managerial strategies for implementing Lean production in China, regarding people management as well as the adjustment of manufacturing facilities. A consideration of the national context can help practitioners to fully understand the causes of implementation barriers in China and, through this, to overcome these barriers. The thesis is concluded by reflecting on its limitations and suggestions for future research.

No description available.

For manufacturing companies active on the global market, high-performance production systems that contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the company are essential. Among a wide range of industries it is increasingly acknowledged that superior production system capabilities are crucial for competitive success. However, the process of designing the production system has received little attention, ignoring its potential for gaining a competitive edge. Designing production systems in an effective and efficient manner is advantageous as it supports the possibility to achieve the best possible production system in a shorter time. One way to facilitate the design of the production system is an effective management of design information. Without managing design information effectively in the production system design process the consequences may be devastating including delays, difficulties in production ramp-up, costly rework, and productivity losses. The objective of the research presented in this thesis is to develop knowledge that will contribute to an effective management of design information when designing production systems. The empirical data collection rests on a multiple-case study method and a survey in which the primary data derive from two industrialization projects at a supplier in the automotive industry. Each industrialization project involved the design of a new production system. The findings revealed ten categories of design information to be used throughout the process of designing production systems. The identified design information categories are grouped in the following way: (1) design information that minimizes the risk of sub-optimization; (2) design information that ensures an alignment with the requirements placed by the external context; (3) design information that ensures an alignment with the requirements placed by the internal context, and (4) design information that facilitates advancements in the design work. In order to improve the management of the broad variety of design information required, a framework is developed. The framework confirms the necessity to consider the management of design information as a multidimensional construct consisting of the acquiring, sharing, and using of information. Further, the framework is based on six characteristics that influence the management of design information. These characteristics are information type, source of information, communication medium, formalization, information quality, and pragmatic information. Supported by the findings, guidelines for the management of design information are outlined to facilitate an effective and efficient design of the production system and thus contribute to better production systems. The guidelines are of value to those responsible for or involved in the design of production systems.

No description available.

This thesis investigates the variability in management practices on coffee and banana farms in an attempt to identify practices that reduce the environmental impact of export crop production. Different banana production systems are studied to determine their level of environmental impact. Insect sampling and bird surveys are used to assess the level of ecological quality on banana farms and their surrounding environments. The first two studies are based on interview methods and focus more on the social aspects of the production system. Paper I identifies how farmers utilize labor and herbicides in weed control practices, and found that small-scale coffee farmers overuse herbicides when their relative use of herbicides to labor to control weed densities is compared to their large-scale counterparts and small-scale organic producers. Paper II attempts to identify variability in management practices for the production of export bananas, but instead finds that there is only one type of export banana production system. However, there are lessons to be learned from organic and banana-coffee intercropping systems of production. Papers III-V use the information gathered in the interview studies of Paper II to give context to the results from analysis of ecological indicators collected from banana farms. Paper III is a comparison of insect community composition on high-input, low-input and organic banana farms. Paper IV is an analysis of aquatic macroinvertebrate in surface water sites upstream and downstream of banana farm canal entry points. Finally, Paper V is a comparison of ecological effects of management practices between Rainforest Alliance certified farms and non-RainforestAlliancecertified farms. Results showed that low-input banana production is not as good as organic production with regards to ecological impact, but it can still make a difference when compared to high-input banana production. Rainforest Alliance certified farms, however, are not low-input systems and the changes that they make in production practices are not enough to influence the quality of the ecological system. These results are encouraging for low-input production systems, but show that standards for Rainforest Alliance certification need to be tougher in order to make an impact on ecological indicators. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Submitted. Paper 5: Manuscript.

Ff filamentous bacteriophage infect male (F+) strains of Escherichia coli and are assembled at the cell membranes, by a secretion-like, non-lethal process. The pIII protein, located at one end of the virion-filament, is required at both the beginning and the end of the phage life cycle. During infection, the N-terminal domains of pIII, N2 and N1, bind to the primary and secondary host receptors, F pilus and TolA protein, respectively. At the end of the life cycle, the pIII C-domain mediates the termination and release of virions. Thus, both entry and release involve structural transitions of the virus coupled to membrane transactions of the virion proteins. "Unlocking” of the highly stable virion presumably results in membrane integration during entry, whereas a reverse event, “locking” of the virion, occurs upon detachment from the membrane at termination step of assembly/secretion. Recently, it was shown that the pIII C-domain plays an active role at the step of entry. This finding implicates the C-domain of pIII in “unlocking” of the virion, presumably resulting in the exposure of the membrane anchor at the very C-terminus of pIII (Bennett & Rakonjac, 2006). To further this work, this thesis has mapped the portion of the pIII C-domain required for infection, by constructing a set of nested deletions of the C-domain fused to the receptor binding domains N1 and N2, and then determined the infectivity of phage carrying the mutant proteins. This mapped the portion of the C-domain required for phage infection is different to that required for termination of assembly. The different requirement for entry and release suggests that the two processes are carried out by distinct mechanisms and/or depend on different sets of accessory proteins. In addition, a system was designed for the efficient production and purification of very short virions, the length of which is 1/20 that of the wild-type f1. These short virions, called microphage, are the first step towards the structural analyses of the phage termini cap structures, of which one contains pIII in the “locked” conformation.

Dans cette thèse, après avoir expliqué l'historique et les concepts principaux de l’organisation lean dans différents contextes, le monde des systèmes complexes est exploré, puis il est montré pourquoi le lean est lui-même un système complexe. Un modèle novateur du lean est proposé sous forme d'ontologie, le Lean Organization Framework (LOF), qui peut être appliqué à toutes les formes d’organisations. Le LOF est testé avec celles qui ont déjà été explorées, proposant ainsi des pistes d’amélioration (lean pour la fabrication, pour l’IT, pour les soins de santé, pour la fonction publique, pour les organisations non gouvernementales, pour les start-ups et pour l’éducation). Il peut également être appliqué à de nouveaux domaines d’activités avec l’aide d’experts dans ces domaines, une approche montrée avec les exemples nouveaux d’une fondation lean et de l’architecture d’entreprise lean (Lean EA) mais aussi en comparant l’organisation lean au système immunitaire, un exemple bien connu de système complexe. Ensuite, un modèle de processus lean est proposé, présentant les propriétés émergentes d’un système complexe, le hoshin kanri (gestion des objectifs de l’organisation), y compris dans sa dimension culturelle. Les résultats de son expérimentation pratique avec l’application eHoshin sont discutés et un premier prototype en open source est présenté, déjà utilisé à ce jour par une centaine d’organisations dans le monde. Une seconde expérimentation plus robuste dans l’industrie (Toyota, dans plusieurs fonctions et entités juridiques) est exposée. Le modèle théorique est enfin amélioré sur base des résultats obtenus. En annexe, les concepts du lean sont expliqués avec leur application à six domaines de connaissance différents et les programmes de simulations sont listés. / In this thesis, after explaining the history and main concepts of the lean organization in various contexts, the world of complex systems is explored, then it is shown why the lean organization is itself a Complex System. A novel model of lean is proposed as an ontology, the Lean Organization Framework (LOF), which can be applied to all forms of organizations. The LOF is tested with those already explored (Lean Manufacturing, Lean IT, Lean Healthcare, Lean Government, Lean NGO, Lean Start-Up, Lean Education) and proposes ways to enhance them. It can also be applied to new domains with the help of subject matter experts, an approach that is checked with the novel cases of a Lean Foundation and Lean Enterprise Architecture (Lean EA), but also with the comparison of the lean organization with the immune system, a well-known Complex System example. Then, a model of lean process presenting the emergent properties of a Complex System is proposed: the hoshin kanri, or management of the organization objectives, including in its cultural dimension. The results of its practical implementation with the eHoshin application are discussed and a first open source prototype already used by around one hundred organizations in the world is explained. A second, more robust implementation in the industry is presented (at Toyota, extended to several departments and legal entities). Finally, the theoretical model is improved based on the experimentation results. In the appendices, the lean concepts are explained together with their application to six domains of knowledge and the simulation programs are listed.

A complexidade dos empreendimentos da construção civil tem sido abordada por diversos autores. Ao contrário da visão tradicional de que estes empreendimentos têm características predominantemente lineares, previsíveis e que seus processos podem ser gerenciados de forma independente, a noção de complexidade traz uma nova luz à gestão da construção. Assim, os empreendimentos da construção devem ser entendidos como compostos por um grande número de processos, inter-relacionados, nos quais melhorias isoladas não resultam normalmente em melhorias substanciais do todo. Neste contexto, o projeto do sistema de produção (PSP), é um processo gerencial que pode contribuir para melhorar o desempenho de empreendimentos de construção, devendo anteceder a etapa de produção. Entretanto, na indústria da construção, esta atividade é pouco difundida, sendo em geral desconsiderada nos empreendimentos. O objetivo geral desta dissertação é propor um modelo de projeto do sistema de produção (PSP) levando em consideração as características complexas dos empreendimentos. O método de pesquisa foi dividido em três etapas. Inicialmente foi realizado o estudo exploratório, cujo objetivo foi obter um melhor entendimento dos empreendimentos estudados. A segunda etapa envolveu quatro estudos empíricos, cujo objetivo foi desenvolver o projeto do sistema de produção para diferentes fases dos empreendimentos, analisar as vantagens e dificuldades da implementação do PSP, assim como analisar a relação entre o PSP e o planejamento e controle da produção. Na etapa final foi proposto um modelo de projeto do sistema de produção no contexto de obras complexas. Nesta etapa também foram discutidos o escopo de decisões do PSP e as ferramentas utilizadas. Entre as principais conclusões deste estudo está a necessidade de antecipar a elaboração do PSP, iniciando ainda na fase de orçamento. O PSP não deve ser deve ser excessivamente detalhado no início do empreendimento, sendo necessária a sua revisão ao longo da etapa de produção, à medida que mais informações tornam-se disponíveis. Dessa forma, o PSP apóia a tomada de decisões relativas à organização da produção e suas decisões servem como informações de entrada para o planejamento e controle da produção (PCP). / The complexity of construction projects have been discussed by many authors. In opposition to the traditional view that those projects are linear and predictable, and that their processes can be managed separately, the notion of complexity cast a new light into construction management. Therefore, construction projects should be seen as composed by a large number of interrelated processes, in which isolated improvements do not usually bring major improvements on the whole. Production System Design is a managerial process that can contribute for improving the performance of construction projects, It should be carried out before the production stage. However, this activity is not widely disseminated in the construction industry and it is neglected in most projects. The objective of this dissertation is to propose a model for the Production System Design (PSD), considering the inherent complexity of construction projects. The research method was divided into three stages. In the first stage, an exploratory study was undertaken aiming to improve the understanding of the types of construction projects to be investigated. The second stage consisted of four empirical studies, in which the production system design for different project phases were produced, and the advantages and difficulties for its implementation were analyzed. Moreover, the relationship between the production system design and the production planning and control process was investigated. In the final stage of the study, a model for designing production systems in complex projects was proposed, including the definition of its scope and the tools that can be used. This research work suggests that there is a need to carry out the production system design before the cost estimating phase. Such design should not be detailed in the early stages of the project, and ought to be revised during the production stage, as more information is made available. Moreover, the production system design supports the decision making process related to the organization of production and provides input information for production planning and control

A falta de uma gestão mais efetiva e de uma visão sistêmica e os baixos níveis de racionalização e industrialização da produção de revestimento de argamassa no Brasil têm sido responsáveis pela alta variabilidade na produção, por índices insatisfatórios de produtividade e perdas e por problemas de qualidade do produto. Uma das etapas desse processo que permanece muito dependente da mão-de-obra é a aplicação de argamassa. Embora alguns autores sustentem que o uso da projeção mecânica para essa atividade introduza aumentos de qualidade do produto em relação ao método convencional, ainda é reduzido o número de empresas que a utiliza. Ao mesmo tempo, poucos são os estudos que abordam de forma sistêmica os possíveis ganhos em eficiência proporcionados pela mecanização dessa atividade. Essa pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar as dificuldades e os benefícios do uso de sistemas de produção de revestimentos de fachada com aplicação mecânica e manual de argamassa através de dois estudos de caso. Para tanto, foi aplicado um método de avaliação da produção, com o qual os dois sistemas foram analisados e obtiveramse índices de produtividade e de perdas, bem como dados referentes aos custos de produção e à qualidade do produto. Além disso, o método possibilitou a identificação de oportunidades de melhoria e de barreiras à utilização de sistemas com aplicação mecânica de argamassa e aspectos relevantes à sua implantação. Os resultados apontaram que o sistema mecanizado gerou ganhos de qualidade do produto e redução nas perdas de argamassa, aumentando a confiabilidade da produção nesses aspectos. Por outro lado, o uso desse sistema não representou ganhos de produtividade na empresa. No entanto, verificou-se ainda a existência de um grande potencial de melhoria de desempenho, que poderia ser obtido com maior esforço na organização do trabalho. Apesar disso, o levantamento de custos revelou que o sistema é viável economicamente em relação ao sistema manual, principalmente em função da redução de perdas de argamassa. Pode-se concluir também que as principais barreiras à utilização de sistemas com aplicação mecânica de argamassa são a falta de visão sistêmica, a ausência ou ineficiência de projeto e de planejamento do sistema de produção e o despreparo da mão-de-obra. / The high amount of production variability and materials waste and the low productivity and quality level of rendering in Brazil are a consequence from the lack of effective management and systemic approach in the production process allied with low levels of rationalization and industrialization. The projection of mortar is still handmade and greatly influenced by labor skills. The mechanical projection has shown a great potential to increase rendering quality when compared to handmade conventional projection. Thus, a few constructors are using mortar pumps, leading to the development of studies about the feasibility and efficiency of mechanized production systems. The case studies shown in this work were done by applying an evaluation method to handmade and mechanical projection systems of rendering production to analyze cost, productivity, waste and quality levels and identify improvement opportunities. Relevant aspects of mechanical projection system implementation and its difficulties were studied. The results show that the best benefits of mechanical projection systems were the potential to increase quality and reduce the waste of mortar, thus contributing to cut the costs. However, better planning of the production system is necessary to improve the production level, even though there was a great potential to increase performance. The barriers to the use of this production technology are the lack of systemic approach, production design and management and well-trained manpower.