Best management systems for manufacturing

Manufacturing management systems are different for many reasons; one such reason is that because not all manufacturing plants are alike, it does not make sense that they all be managed in exactly the same way.With that said, there are a few manufacturing management systems that are more popular than others.In order to personalize these systems, many manufacturers take concepts from various systems and incorporate them in a management style that makes the most sense for their operation.Below are some of the best manufacturing systems for manufacturing that you can refer to as you decide what changes or management techniques you may want for your manufacturing plant:

Just in time manufacturing

Just in time manufacturing is a manufacturing system that focuses to improve the return on investment that a company has on its inventory.This system is triggered to produce more goods at the same rate that these goods are being demanded by customers.So in essence, as something is being sold off of the shelf, there is a system in place that lets the manufacturers know to replace that item.This means that only enough products are made to meet the current demand.Only making enough products to meet the demand means no need for an excess of products in inventory.When there is no need for inventory or storage these costs of extra production and material storage are eliminated.

Lean manufacturing

Those manufacturing plants with environmental protection and waste management agencies on their backs know this management system very well.Lean manufacturing is a system that focuses on eliminating waste.This waste could be anything from wasted labor to actual physical waste that cannot be recycled.Lean manufacturing also focuses on reducing the variation in the processes that are used to make a product.In other words, lean manufacturing encourages managers to find the best way to produce an item and then replicate that process without deviation for every item of that type that is made.Lean manufacturing has become very popular lately as the pressure to reduce costs and minimize waste is being felt more strongly in recent years.

Flexible manufacturing

A flexible manufacturing system is just that, flexible.This system allows for some amount of flexibility in the process of production in order to account for unpredictable occurrences.Generally there are two categories of flexible manufacturing: machine flexibility and routing flexibility.Machine flexibility encompasses a system of equipment's ability to change the order of operations or to execute only a part of the process of production on demand.Routing flexibility refers to the ability to use multiple machines to perform the same operation.This is useful when large orders require changes beyond the scope of normal production levels.

Mass customization

Mass customization is a manufacturing system that uses computers to aid in the manufacturing of items that have some sort of custom component to them.In this manufacturing system both mass production and customization are combined to produce the customer with a product that is unique to their needs at a price that is consistent with other mass produced goods. An example of mass customization is when a manufacturer of pens is able to put a custom message on a batch of those pens to be sent to the customer who will then distribute those pens as a form of advertising.

Agile manufacturing

Agile manufacturing refers to the manufacturing management system that an organization uses when they have been able to create a process, equipment, training skills, etc. to be able to respond quickly to the changing needs of the consumer and market as a whole while still maintaining efficiency and quality control.