Applying Lean Principles, Tools and Techniques in Set Parts Supply Implementation

Lean, which was initially developed by Toyota, is widely implemented in other companies to improve competitiveness. This research is an attempt to identify the adoption of lean in the production system of Malaysian car manufacturer, Proton using case study approach. To gain the in-depth information regarding lean implementation, an activity on the assembly line called Set Parts Supply (SPS) was studied. The result indicates that by using lean principles, tools and techniques in the implementation of SPS enabled to achieve the goals on safety, quality, cost, delivery and morale. The implementation increased the size of the workspace, improved the quality of assembly and the delivery of parts supply, reduced the manpower, achieved cost savings on electricity and also increased the motivation of manpower in respect of attendance at work. A framework of SPS implementation is suggested as a contribution for lean practices in production system.

Authors:

• Suhartini M. Jainury
• Rizauddin Ramli
• Mohd Nizam A. Rahman

Keywords:

• Assembly line
• lean manufacturing
• production
• parts supply.

References:

[1] T. Melton, "The Benefits of Lean Manufacturing: What Lean Thinking
has to Offer the Process Industries," Chemical Engineering Research and
Design, vol. 83, no. 6, pp. 662-673, 2005.
[2] S. Bhim, S. K. Garg, S. K. Sharma, and G. Chandandeep, "Lean
implementation and its benefits to production industry," International
Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 157-168, 2010.
[3] J. K. Liker, The Toyota Way. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
[4] R. Shah and P. T. Ward, "Defining and developing measures of lean
production," Journal of Operations Management, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 785-
805, 2007.
[5] R. J. Schonberger, "Japanese production management: An evolution--
With mixed success," Journal of Operations Management, vol. 25, no. 2,
pp. 403-419, 2007.
[6] N. Nordin, B. M. Deros, and D. A. Wahab, "A Survey on Lean
Manufacturing Implementation in Malaysian Automotive Industry,"
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, vol.
1, no. 4, pp. 374-380, 2010.
[7] Y. Monden, Toyota Production System: An Integrated Approach to Just
In Time, Fourth ed. New York: CRC Press, 2011, pp. 271-274.
[8] T. Nomura, "Set Parts Supply System in Guangzhou Toyota [in
Japanese]," Bulletin of the Kagoshima Prefectural Jr. College. Cultural
and social science, vol. 59, no. pp. 17-29, 2008.
[9] Y.-c. Wang, L.-f. Wang, Z.-y. Xu, and G. Yang, "IE is the accelerator of
economic growth mode transformation of autonomous vehicle," in 17Th
International Conference Industrial Engineering and Engineering
Management (IE&EM), 2010, pp. 759-765.
[10] S. Deechongkit and R. Srinon, "Three Alternatives Approaches of
Material Supply in Assembly Line: A Comparative Study," presented at
the Asia Pacific Industrial Engineering & Management System,
Kitakyushu, Japan, 2009.
[11] H. Noguchi, "A new mixed flow production line for multiple automotive
models at Tsutsumi plant (in Japanese)," Factory Management, vol. 51,
no. 1, pp. 16-33, 2005.
[12] A. Smalley. (2009, 1 December). Toyota's New Material-Handling
System Shows TPS's Flexibility. Available:
http://www.leaninstituut.nl/publications/1106/ToyotaNewMaterialHandl
ingSystem.pdf
[13] R. K. Yin, Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 4th ed. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2009, pp. 8-23.
[14] R. Abdullah, K. Jusoff, Z. Ahmad, and Y. Takahashi, "The Japanese
Influence in Malaysian Automotive Industry: Human Resources
Management and Development Practices," Management Science and
Engineering, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 59-70, 2009.
[15] S. Leshem and V. Trafford, "Overlooking the conceptual framework,"
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, vol. 44, no. 1, pp.
93-105, 2007.
[16] B. M. Deros, S. r. M. Yusof, and A. M. Salleh, "A benchmarking
implementation framework for automotive manufacturing SMEs,"
Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 396-430,
2006.
[17] S. Bhasin, "Lean and performance measurement," Journal of
Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 670-684,
2008.
[18] V. Ramesh and R. Kodali, "A decision framework for maximising lean
manufacturing performance," International Journal of Production
Research, vol. 50, no. 8, pp. 2234-2251, 2011.
[19] R. Gapp, R. Fisher, and K. Kobayashi, "Implementing 5S within a
Japanese context: an integrated management system," Management
Decision, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 565-579, 2008.
[20] D. Seth and D. Tripathi, "Relationship between TQM and TPM
implementation factors and business performance of manufacturing
industry in Indian context," International Journal of Quality &
Reliability Management, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 256-277, 2005.
[21] R. Shah and P. T. Ward, "Lean manufacturing: context, practice bundles,
and performance," Journal of Operations Management, vol. 21, no. 2,
pp. 129-149, 2003.
[22] I. P. S. Ahuja and J. S. Khamba, "Total productive maintenance:
literature review and directions," International Journal of Quality &
Reliability Management, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 709-756, 2008.
[23] Y. Sugimori, K. Kusunoki, F. Cho, and S. Uchikawa, "Toyota
production system and kanban system materialization of just-in-time and
respect-for-human system," International Journal of Production
Research, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 553-564, 1977.
[24] S. Sakakibara, B. B. Flynn, R. G. Schroeder, and W. T. Morris, "The
Impact of Just-in-Time Manufacturing and Its Infrastructure on
Manufacturing Performance," Management Science, vol. 43, no. 9, pp.
1246-1257, 1997.
[25] A. H├╝ttmeir, S. de Treville, A. van Ackere, L. Monnier, and J.
Prenninger, "Trading off between heijunka and just-in-sequence,"
International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 118, no. 2, pp. 501-
507, 2009.
[26] P. G. Ranky, "Eighteen "monozukuri-focused" assembly line design and
visual factory management principles with DENSO industrial
examples," Assembly Automation, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 12-16, 2007.