Agile manufacturing

Many manufacturers have developed methods to help them best meet the needs of their customers as well as meeting their own needs. One of the philosophies that manufacturers have developed is agile manufacturing. This article discusses agile manufacturing.

What is agile manufacturing?

Agile manufacturing is a philosophy that many manufacturers have to help them meet the needs of the customers while also meeting their own needs of saving money and not wasting time. Usually becoming an agile manufacturer comes after they are already a lean manufacturer.

What is agile?

When a person is agile it means they are coordinated, they can move quickly, or they can think quickly. When paired with manufacturing, agile means just about the same thing. When a manufacturer is agile it means they can deal quickly and well with changes that happen during production and with the ever changing wants of their customers.

What is lean production/manufacturing?

Lean production, or lean manufacturing, is a type of manufacturing that helps a manufacturer eliminate any wasteful practices that go on during their manufacturing process. The main point of lean production using less work but at the same time creating more value.

Toyota is one of the companies that uses lean production. Muda, mura, and muri are the three different types of waste that Toyota recognizes in manufacturing and tries to eliminate through lean manufacturing. Muda is a type of waste that consists of work that is done that does not add value. Mura is a type of waste that is "unevenness" or when there is not a good flow during production and muri is waste that means "overburden" or when there is too much to do.

How to become an agile manufacturer

To become an agile manufacturer, a manufacturer will need to research their customers, specifically looking at the time the customers will be willing to wait for the product. The manufacturer also needs to look at the amount of time it takes for them to get the supplies they need to create their products.

When a manufacturer's suppliers are quick to bring supplies, the manufacturer can have a good shot at using lean manufacturing (or lean production). And if the customers do not want to wait very long for their products, an agile manufacturer will be a good fit.

Great communication is one of the important aspects of a manufacturer using agile manufacturing. It can be very helpful for people, such as the designers, workers, and marketers, to share a database that has information on the different raw materials and the different products the company uses and makes.

Having a common database will allow these employees to give each other information about what is happening in production and any problems that they may experiences. This is also gives the employees an opportunity to stop problems when they are smaller before they escalate into bigger problems.

The characteristics of agile manufacturing

One of the four characteristics of agile manufacturing is a manufacturer that is ready for change. The wants and needs of the customers may change and an agile manufacturer needs to be ready to deal with this.

Another one of the four characteristics of an agile manufacturer is making sure they offer value to their customers. This means that the products they produce are well made and what the customer needs.

Understanding the importance of the different skills and knowledge that people possess is another attribute of agile manufacturing. And forming good partnerships (for example, a good relationship between the manufacturer and the supplier) is another characteristic of agile manufacturing.