Operations and Supply Chain Management

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is for students to evaluate the lean techniques applied to business in today’s workforce.

Note: Students and Faculty seeking more information on this assignment can refer to Ch. 14 of the Operations and Supply Chain Management textbook.

Assignment Steps

Select a business you are familiar with which incorporates lean manufacturing or lean supply chains.

Evaluate how this firm uses lean strategies and how much lean techniques has improved the firm’s efficiency.

Evaluate ways the firm can go even further to make improvements using lean techniques.

Use the results you obtained from evaluating this firm to apply to your own business or a business you are interested in which currently does not use lean.

Develop a 1,050-word report in which you describe your lean evaluation project.

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.

Answer preview

Kanban leaning technique involves scheduling of production and minimizing of work-in-process. This is done while encouraging improvement in many areas of the organization. Kanban is a Japanese word that means signboard or billboard. It involves the establishment of a stock pint where Toyota employees send a signal from in case of withdrawal of items from the stream. Just in time technique reduces the in-process inventories while at the same time reducing the costs that are associated with carrying. Toyota produces items that are required at a particular time with reference to the required amount and quality. This means that they do not produce excess amounts hence minimizing waste and cost of production. Heijunka leaning technique focuses on the leveling of both the quantity and product mix. Here Toyota takes the number of orders made in a day and uses that to produce the same amount in each day that passes. This technique reduces the cost that is brought about by the fluctuations in demand and supply.

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Operations and Supply Chain Management
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