Product, Process, and Schedule Design Notes

Introduction to Product, Process, and Schedule Design

  • Before developing alternative facility plans, answer key questions:

    1. What is to be produced?

    2. How are the products to be produced?

    3. When are the products to be produced?

    4. How much of each product will be produced?

    5. For how long will the product be produced?

    6. Where will the products be produced?

  • The answers for the first five questions come from:

    • Product design

    • Process design

    • Schedule design

  • The last question relates to facility location determination.

Product Design

  • Roles of Product Designers:

    • Determine product specifications (dimensions, materials, packaging designs, etc.).

Process Design

  • Roles of Process Designers:

    • Decide how the product will be produced, including internal vs. outsourced production.

Schedule Design

  • Roles of Production Planners:

    • Determine production quantities and scheduling of equipment.

Importance of Coordination

  • Facility planners rely on timely and accurate input from product, process, and schedule designers.

  • Close coordination among these four teams is crucial for effective facility planning.

Design Sequence in Multi-Stage Production

  • Forging Process Example Sequence:

    1. Blank Edging (Double)

    2. Fullering

    3. Open Die Forging

    4. Blocking

    5. Impression Die Forging

    6. Finishing

    7. Forged Product (Post Trimming Flash)

Product Determination

  1. Defining the Product: Made by upper management based on:

    • Marketing analysis

    • Manufacturing capabilities

    • Financial considerations

  2. Uncertainty Factors:

    • Mission of the facility, business philosophy, economic conditions, labor availability, and competition can lead to changes in the occupant's needs.

Detailed Design

  • Meeting Customer Needs:

    • Influenced by aesthetics, function, materials, and manufacturing considerations.

  • Quality Function Deployment (QFD):

    • A process to translate customer desires into product specifications and production requirements.

  • Benchmarking:

    • Used to analyze competitors' practices to meet or exceed customer expectations.

  • Design Tools:

    • CAD systems for designs, prototypes, assembly designs, 2D drawings, and dimension determinations.

Documentation in Design

  • As products are designed, key documents for facilities planning include:

    • Exploded Assembly Drawings: Show parts relationship and assembly order.

    • Component Part Drawings: Detailed specifications for each part to guide fabrication.

Process Design Overview

  • Considerations:

    • In-house parts manufacture vs. outsourcing.

    • Selection of equipment and operational tasks.

    • Evaluate processing time for operations.

    • Make-or-buy decision processes.

Process Identification & Selection

  1. Make-or-Buy Decisions: Assessing if parts should be produced in-house or purchased.

  2. Process Selection: Determining operational methods, equipment, and raw materials.

  3. Process Sequencing: Arrangement of components in assembly.

Example of a Part Identification in BOM

  • Required details include:

    1. Part number

    2. Part name

    3. Number of parts per product

    4. Drawing number and material specifications.

Equipment Fraction & Scheduling

  • Calculating required machines based on:

    • Processing time requirements;

    • Performance rates;

    • Shelf reliability.

  • Equipment Calculation Example:

    • For a part with a standard task time of 2.8 minutes per part and an 8-hour operational shift, assess needed machines based on production goals.

Schedule Design Considerations

  • Impact on Operations:

    • Machine selection, number of machines, shifts, employee count, and storage requirements.

  • Marketing Interface:

    • Input from marketing provides critical information about consumer needs and production trends.

Management Tools for Facilities Planning

  • Tools include:

    1. Affinity Diagram: Organize ideas into general themes.

    2. Matrix Diagram: Show responsibilities for tasks.

    3. Tree Diagram: Detail activities needed in processes.

    4. Network Diagram: Illustrates the timetable and dependencies of operations.

Evaluation of Layout Alternatives

  • Use Prioritization Matrix to assess layout choices based on factors like WIP levels and costs.

  • Structured approach to ensure all steps are monitored for efficiency during facilities planning and design.