Rapid Response Manufacturing 1
ABSTRACT This paper introduces a new model for Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing. It will discuss the old Manufacturing Life Cycle, consisting of Research Development and Demonstration, Innovation and Idea Generation, Production System Design, Production Implementation, Delivery of Product, Product Consumption, and the Retirement of Products. The article describes and defines the Rapid Response Enablers of Information Technology and Communication, Flexible and Agile Processes, Lean Sigma Systems, Product Life Cycle and Integrated Logistics Support, and Emerging Technologies. The Drivers of the Model are Customer drive for Customized Products, Services, Speed, and Environmental Responsibility. Integration of these elements of advanced manufacturing with the manufacturing cycle constitutes the competitive model of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing.
Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing 2 Rapid Response Manufacturing
Introduction: Rapid Response Manufacturing A product to most individuals is something that they obtain through purchase or other means in order to satisfy needs. Manufacturing is the transformation of materials into goods. That transformation may use people, capital, processes, systems, and enterprises, to deliver products of value to society” (1). As early as 2006, it was recognized that our manufacturing base was the foundation upon which U.S. economic growth and competitiveness in the global market place were at risk (2). Clearly, a robust manufacturing sector is the key to the economic competitiveness of the United States (3).
of view of manufactured products, the driver of the needs of consumers has evolved with the development of technologies that have driven the consumers to higher levels of expectation. From this perspective the needs gap between the individual consumer needs and wants has narrowed to the point that the customization of products is beginning to be a need much more than a simple want. This is precisely the key driver of changes in the manufacturing product life cycle from idea to delivery and subsequently to post consumption (5).
Manufactured products form the foundation of most economic systems. Government, industry and individuals develop and produce products in the form of goods and services to meet the needs of those in society. From this perspective, the consumer or individual can dictate the types and forms of products that will be available to meet the needs of the individual and/or the general population. The key in this proposition is the focus on the drive to meet consumer needs, and as such it is the consumer that basically drives the productive sector to provide for those needs. The desire for low cost goods has been, is, and continues to be fundamental to the consumer and it has historically been met by taking advantage of economies of scale through mass production of products, however, this approach leads to a widening of the gap between the producer’s ability to produce variety and the consumer’s exact wants/needs (4). In other words, the consumer is forced to compromise his/her wants or needs with what is available, not with what he/she desires or needs.. From the point Rapid Response Manufacturing 3
In society today, consumers are driving for customized products in “world record times.” The production environment is further complicated by the need from most to be environmentally responsible. As such these two factors are changing the way products are conceived and brought to market, thus giving rise to a continuously changing manufacturing product life cycle paradigm. The distinguishing characteristic in this process is the increasing desire for speed, quality, and affordability. This new paradigm dictates that the manufacturing product life cycle must respond rapidly to the needs of the customer, which in turn defines the concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing (RRAM) as a customer driven process that integrates technology to achieve the desired speed in meeting the increasingly complex needs of today’s consumers. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing with an emphasis on the integration of enablers of faster response within the product manufacturing cycle. This overview will include a detailed description of the drivers, components, and enablers of a Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing framework starting with a concise definition of the concept of RRAM.
DEFINITION OF RRAM There are many different approaches to the concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing. Examples of other attempts to define RRAM include the work of Wang and Lin (6) who suggest an agile system driven by an RFID controlled manufacturing system and the integration of an automated cell. Skovic and Kopac (7) see reverse engineering as a necessary component of rapid product development, and Zhang & Sharifi (8) have built a strategy around three agility strategies; responsive players, quick players, and proactive players . Ramesh & Devadsan (9) tie in a flexible manufacturing system with lean manufacturing. Fung, Feng, Zhibin & Wong (10) discuss the need for virtual cell formation to support agile manufacturing Power, Sohal & Rahman (11) promote a combination of hard and soft methodologies to meet the changing customer requirement, and Vinodh, Sundararaj, Devadasan, Kuttalingam, & Rajanayagam (12) discuss design of 4 Rapid Response Manufacturing
experiments and computer-aided design as enablers to rapid manufacturing. Others have made similar suggestions to the examples above, but a robust model requires an integrated approach. Research and practice have implemented pieces of the methodology, but the full, integrated methodology is needed to fully develop a workforce and an organization that can support all elements of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing. Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing is herein defined as the integration of technologies and processes that reduce the lead time in a product’s life cycle from ideation to delivery and subsequent retirement of the product. The resulting product cycle time to market must be considered rapid given customer needs, the product, and the state of technology. The results of being able to achieve these reductions in time to market for products are a competitive advantage achieved through an enhanced ability to meet customer needs down to the customization and personalization of products at mass-produced product prices. The key in this concept is the integration of drivers and enablers of Rapid Response with the manufacturing life cycle, and it is precisely this integration that differentiates Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing from simply advanced manufacturing of products at a faster pace. As can be seen in Figure 1, (pg. 5) the product or manufacturing cycle is commonly known, and its functions are well defined, understood and practiced. The drivers for the integration of the processes that define RRAM are customer or market driven for customized products, services and speed in development and delivery, and the increasingly important responsibility that the environment presents for the achievement of sustainability. As such, achieving these customer/market and environment driven needs requires that the manufacturing cycle be enhanced in its ability to respond faster through the utilization of technologies that increase quality, speed, agility and flexibility. The general notion of manufacturing has evolved from the beginning of civilization where people manufactured tools to facilitate their day to day activities such as hunting. From these times, the manufacturing process has included fundamental process components of innovation and idea generation, research, development and demonstration, production
LEAN SIGMA SYSTEMS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/ COMMUNICATION
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE INTEGRATED LOGISTICS SUPPORT
CU CUS STOME TO RD SER MIZED RIVE F VIC ES, PRODU OR AND C SPE TS, ED
TION N DUC PRO M DESIG E SYST
N TIO N UC SIG OD DE PR TEM S SY
RAPID RESPONSE
NTAL ONME ENVIR NSIBILITY O P S E R
RETIR
EME
MANUFACTURING CYCLE CO N
SU
MP
NT
TIO
N
F YO ER T LIV UC DE ROD P
With this in mind, the concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing is emerging as a viable strategy to reach both viability and sustainability. As described in Figure 1, RRAM is based on the basic concept of reducing the cycle time of the components of the manufacturing cycle, from idea to retirement, through the use of enablers of speed. These enablers take the form of improvements in information technology/ communication, flexible and agile manufacturing processes, lean sigma systems, product life cycle, integrated logistics support, and emerging technologies. The implementation of these enablers defines the basis for the concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing. A holistic and systematic implementation of these enablers for the entire manufacturing cycle integrates to operate as the
FLEXIBLE AND AGILE PROCESS
PRODUCTION IMPLEMENTATION
The use of the manufacturing cycle has evolved to the point that manufacturing of products tends to be commoditized with the consequence that competition is driven by lowest cost and not necessarily by the highest quality or most efficient producer. This presents a dilemma for manufacturers in that in their quest to achieve the lowest cost they need to diminish their ability to be competitive through providing improved products and supporting their innovative Enterprise. This threatens the long term viability of many companies. This situation has threatened the viability of manufacturing in North America. Most people are familiar with the wave of manufacturers that has sent manufacturing operations overseas in order to remain competitive. Therefore, a change in paradigm is required for manufacturing to continue to be the driving force in the creation of economic wealth and prosperity. For this to happen, manufacturers must focus on creating new pathways for growing and sustaining competitive advantages.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
PR SY OD ST UC EM TIO DE N SIG N
system design, production implementation, delivery of the product, consumption of the product, and more recently retirement of the product from an environmental point of view (13). The commonly understood manufacturing cycle has evolved based on incremental additions to the cycle, and the literature is rich with approaches and studies related to its effectiveness and evolution (14). The basic manufacturing cycle has been, in some form, the paradigm used by manufacturers worldwide to provide society with innovation based economic growth.
FIGURE 1.A FRAMEWORK FOR RAPID RESPONSE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing. Such an integrated approach provides value amplification to the contemporary manufacturing product cycle supporting the customer drive for customized products, services, speed of delivery and environmental responsibility at market defined prices. When the framework for rapid response in a manufacturing enterprise is adopted, it provides pathways for success in evolving and sustaining competitive advantages. As such it is important to understand how the enablers of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing can support the achievement of speed in the manufacturing cycle. This aspect is described in detail next.
ENHANCEMENT OF MANUFACTURING SPEED THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/ COMMUNICATION For any system, communication of information is a critical domain for the ability of the system to function effectively. Without information, one is unable to determine if, how, or why the system is or is not functioning. In the case of the manufacturing cycle, Rapid Response Manufacturing 5
poor communication of information would impede activities as one would not be able to determine how to make things, when to make things, or what things to make. Because of this, manufacturing organizations are often designed and built around teams, shifts, functions, or other common elements that require discussion and interaction that encourages the free exchange of information. As such, systems must be in place so that at minimum, information is conveyed so that activities can take place in the production of goods at whatever rate is possible. If speed and flexibility are of the essence, the issues associated with communication and information technology are compounded and have enhanced importance. From the perspective of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing, appropriate information technology/ communications is an enabler providing: • Ability to operate in parallel • Speed of delivery of information • Systemic coordination and control from design through retirement • Knowledge management allowing for flexibility • Holistic integrated complexity management Information Technology has an omnipresent mystique in the Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing Framework. It is fully integrated, yet has a presence in non-traditional locations. Operators on the production floor, material handlers and plant logistics personnel, and even trucks, warehouses, customers and suppliers are connected. The entire manufacturing process chain, including internal and external providers and users are connected in ways to make the best informed information-based decisions at any given time. This creates a flexible system that is totally connected up and down, side to side. All parties have a critical role in the total process. When organizations create new knowledge and generate innovative ideas for future products, it is necessary to capture the collective tacit knowledge of the organization and convert it into explicit knowledge. Companies must create an environment whereby it is a natural occurrence for discussion and idea exchange to take place in order to convert tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is held within individuals and is difficult to extract if the right environment is not established. Once an 6 Rapid Response Manufacturing
organization collects and reduces this new knowledge into documentation form, it then becomes the basis of new knowledge creation. Communication must occur up and down and throughout the organization. A free-flowing highway of information not only creates new knowledge, but it creates synergy and the energy required to become an idea generating company (15). In the new model, information is shared within security levels at all components and at all levels. Everyone must be knowledgeable within their respective component to make true contributions and fully participate in the process. Whatever integrated system is employed, all users should be fully trained and expected to use all applicable modules. Powerful system tools can reinforce the communication process described above.
FLEXIBLE AND AGILE PROCESSES Flexible and Agile processes are very important enablers of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing. Many organizations are utilizing rapid prototype, rapid mold, or rapid production enhancers to compress the development time for new or improved products (16). However, from the point of view of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing, flexibility and agility are traits that must be prevalent throughout the functions of the entire manufacturing cycle – all actions from idea to retirement need to be flexible and agile. That implies that the ability to quickly respond to change in a seamless manner must be identified and practiced. For example, a change in product requirements by the customer should be designed and implemented in such a way that production and delivery to the customer barely skips a beat. The lack of agility and inflexibility in the manufacturing cycle would not allow this to take place without a great deal of turmoil for the production enterprise and the customer. As such, the prevalence of these traits provides a significant competitive advantage for both the manufacturer and the customer. Because the achievement of agility and flexibility are difficult, many companies choose to use outside suppliers or contractors who have a great deal of expertise in this area. To this effect there are a number of enterprises that are now devoted to
employing practices of agility and flexibility and are very successful in the achievement of some level of customer satisfaction. The practice of agility and flexibility can create a barrier to entry, but it also makes it possible for even the smallest manufacturer to participate in Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing practices. The achievement of flexible and agile processes is made possible through technology (i.e. Information Technology), advancement in materials, and to a large extent, reduction in set-up time for all actions taken in the manufacturing cycle. Flexible and agile processes include low capital investment manufacturing technologies, and computer and information technologies. Precursor technologies such as desktop manufacturing provide tools to produce a prototype or functional part very quickly and inexpensively. Numerical Control machines, solid freedom fabrication, and 3D printing are all examples of these processes. Computer and information technologies allow users to develop new designs via CAD, CAE and CAM tools (17). The concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing seeks to use these technologies and to speed up not only the product development phase of the manufacturing cycle, but also the mainstream production processes in the cycle.
LEAN SIGMA SYSTEMS Companies need to embrace the tools designed to reduce waste, improve the product, make the process more repeatable, more robust, and be able to defend itself with confidence without taking valuable resources from other necessary activities. Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance, 5-S, and Benchmarking are all components being utilized by the organization which is fully immersed in the Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing Cycle. Building upon robust quality and business operating systems from the traditional manufacturing model, companies practicing the rapid response cycle need to incorporate additional tools for innovation, improvement, and survival. Lean Manufacturing is a strategy developed to provide the shortest cycle time by eliminating waste. Six Sigma is a management approach originally developed
by Motorola (18) that emphasizes setting extremely high objectives, collecting data, and analyzing results to reduce defects in products and services. Total Productive Maintenance is similar to the traditional preventive maintenance systems that have been in place for years, but there is one major difference. As the equipment changes or ages, the plan changes, and companies are realizing a savings as a result of less breakdown expenses. 5-S is a System implemented by Toyota and implies that everything has a place and is in its place. The five S’s are Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. Benchmarking includes finding the best practice in a field or in an industry and emulating it (19). Product Life Cycle Integrated Logistics Support Under the concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing, product life cycle requires knowledge and control of all aspects of the product from cradle to retirement. The traditional product life cycle moves the product/process innovation through the processes of introduction, growth, maturity and product retirement. In the concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing, there is an increased need to maintain a higher level of control and understanding of the evolution and process of product life cycle. This will enable manufacturers to respond more rapidly to any possible requirement for change and or adjustment in a product or process associated with it that could be used in further developments to reduce lead times or the development of new products. Without life cycle data and knowledge, additional development and innovation is much more difficult and costs much more. The concept of integrated logistics support has been used extensively in the military for complex systems and there are even standards associated with it. The evolution of consumer products is now at a point that their complexity requires the use of ILS concepts on a routine basis. As the principles of rapid response are implemented, new stress is produced on the logistics support for product development, production, and retirement. When this process is in full and effective function, new innovations in product design/function/ process emerge, and become the profit-making entity. This rapid pace requires new strategies of logistics support since the process is so fast. The comfort zone is never reached. Rapid Response Manufacturing 7
Incumbent on the workforce that devises new logistics systems to enable each new innovation is the need for them to exhibit the ability to be agile, secure, and ahead of the manufacturing process. With today’s emphasis on speed in response, and responsible product death and subsequent reuse of the old to build the new, a new dimension in security as well as scope falls upon the logistics component of RRAM. New parallel, information technologies will need to support the logistics of product life cycle from idea to retirement linking the design, production, and disposal processes. This will provide both control and information to enhance the ability for better performance of the product manufacturing cycle through information that leads to improvements in products and manufacturing processes that enable rapid response for manufacturing entities.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES Emerging technologies are difficult to even define. For example, nano technology is new to the engineering and manufacturing industries. On the other hand, nano science, the precursor to nano technology has been practiced by the Physics and Chemistry professions throughout the greater part of their existence. One profession’s emerging technology can be another profession’s long time focus. Because new technologies can bring disruptive change to any industry, it is imperative for the practitioner of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing to be aware of what might arrive next year in the way of new products, materials, processes, and most importantly to be ready to exploit them to economic, social, and environmental benefit. For example, consider the internet and its extremely rapid growth (an emerging technology still). The customer demand is for speed and broad coverage. It is for accuracy of desired search results that map to the customer wants. It is for security while searching. It is for accessibility from anywhere in the world. The internet technology is still in its infancy and or early growth stages. New competitors focus on a “next stage customer want”, but it will be the integration of as many wants as possible that will win in the market. An emerging technology starts a new industry or global information and eliminates local information sources such as news papers and eventually television 8 Rapid Response Manufacturing
news broadcasts. Awareness of what is emerging can enable a company to innovate new ways to utilize the capabilities of the new technology, and can suggest new concepts in satisfying their customers. Without sufficient understanding of new and emerging technologies, corporate life time/ sustainability will be very short in the coming years.
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS Implementation of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing by a corporation is the required strategy for manufacturing operations in the future if the company is to remain competitive in the global market. Adoption of one or two components of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing will not win in the highly competitive quest to produce products that customers want and are willing to purchase, and that at end of product life will satisfy the social/ environmental need to become a new natural resource for future products. RRAM is financially rewarding, socially needed, and environmentally necessary. RRAM requires the full integration of information and communication technologies, flexible and agile processes, implementation of Lean Sigma strategies, product life cycle integrated logistics support, and knowledge of new and emerging technologies. Adoption of the fully integrated RRAM process can give a company a chance at long term sustainability. Anything short of this is like working with an incomplete set of tools. Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing is how concepts such as mass customization, rapid prototyping, and new supply chain logistics can make a sustainable change in global competitiveness for any company, regardless of size. Pay attention to the customer wants and needs in the new product manufacturing cycle. Success of maintaining manufacturing leadership depends on full implementation of the complete concept of Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Labor WIRED Grant UTPA/WR – 15999-07-60A-48, Number 117Wired. We would also like to acknowledge the encouragement and input from Dr. Douglas Timmer and Dr James Li, both from the Manufacturing Engineering Department at UTPA, Mr. Keith Patridge, President and CEO McAllen Economic Development Corporation, Ms. Wanda Garza, Executive Director NAAMREI, STC McAllen, and Mr. Eddie Sanjoto, Alps Automotive.
REFERENCES (1)
“Manufacturing the Future Federal Priorities for Manufacturing R&D, Interagency Working Group on Manufacturing R&D, Committee on Technology, National Science and Technology Council, March 2008.
(2)
J. Popkin and K. Kobe, U.S. Manufacturing Innovation at Risk, Council of Manufacturing Associations and The Manufacturing Institute, February 2006.
(3)
“Manufacturing Sector Dynamics, Institute for Economic Development and the Institute for Democratic and Socioeconomic Research, University of San Antonio, April 2008.
(4)
L. Papic, (2007). Deploying Customer Requirements Via Four-Stage Team Approach in Business Planning. International Journal of Reliability, Quality & Safety Engineering, 14(3), 263-274. Retrieved from Science & Technology Collection database.
(5)
H. Kobayashi, (2005). Strategic evolution of eco-products: a product life cycle planning methodology. Research in Engineering Design, 16(1/2), 1-16. doi:10.1007/s00163-005-0001-3.
(6)
L. Wang and S. Lin (2009). A Multi-Agent Based Agile Manufacturing Planning and Control System. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 57(2), 620-640. Doi:10.1016/j.cie.2009.05.015.
(7)
M. Sokovic and J. Kopac (2006). RE (reverse engineering) as Necessary Phase by Rapid Product Development. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 175(1-3), 398-403. Doi:10.1016/j. jmatprotec.2005.04.047.
(8)
Z. Zhang and H. Sharifi (2007). Towards Theory Building in Agile Manufacturing Strategy: A Taxonomical Approach. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 54(2), 351-370. Doi:10.1109/ TEM.2007.893989.
(9)
G. Ramesh and S. Devadasan (2007). Literature Review on the Agile Manufacturing Criteria. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 18(2), 182-201. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Rapid Response Manufacturing 9
(10) R. Fung, L. Feng, J. Zhibin and T. Wong (2008). A Multi-Stage Methodology for Virtual Cell Formation Oriented Agile Manufacturing. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 36(7/8), 798-810. Doi:10.1007/s00170-006-0871-1. (11)
D. Power, A. Sohal, and S. Rahman (2001). Critical Success Factors in Agile Supply Chain Management – An Empirical Study. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 31(4), 247-265. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.
(12) S. Vinodh, G. Sundararaj, S. Devadasan, D. Kuttalingam, and D. Rajanayagam (2010). ComputerAided Design of Experiments: An Enabler of Agile Manufacturing. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 44(9/10), 940-954. Doi:10.1007/s00170-008-1903-9. (13) R. Rao (2008). Evaluation of environmentally conscious manufacturing programs using multiple attribute decision-making methods. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers -- Part B -- Engineering Manufacture, 222(3), 441-451. doi:10.1243/09544054JEM981. (14) G. Chryssolouris, D. Mavrikios, N. Papakostas, D. Mourtzis, G. Michalos, and K. Georgoulias (2009). Digital manufacturing: history, perspectives, and outlook. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers -- Part B -- Engineering Manufacture, 223(5), 451-462. doi:10.1243/09544054JEM1241. (15) M. Chilton and J. Bloodgood (2008). The dimensions of tacit & explicit knowledge: A description and measure. International Journal of Knowledge Management, 4(2), 75-91. Retrieved September 18, 2009, from PsycINFO database. (16) P. Wright (2005). Rapid Prototyping in Consumer Product Design. Communications of the ACM, 48(6), 36-41. Retrieved from Science & Technology Collection database. (17) R. Luo and J. Tzou (2008, October). Development of an LCD-Photomask-Based Desktop Manufacturing System. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 55(10), 3715-3723. Retrieved September 18, 2009, doi:10.1109/TIE.2008.922603. (18) V. Grant (2008). Lean Six Sigma -- the GUTs of improvement?. Management Services, 52(1), 22-23. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. (19) M. Carnell. (2007, January). Six Sigma in Everything We Do?. Quality Progress, 40(1), 67-68. Retrieved September 18, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.
© January 2010, by John R. Lloyd, Allan M. Beck and Miguel A. Gonzalez 10 Rapid Response Manufacturing
The University of Texas-Pan American Rapid Response Manufacturing Center 1201 West University Drive Edinburg, TX 78539 956-318-8956 • rrmc.utpa.edu