Overview

The technology and methodology of Demand Flow manufacturing change the role of the computer system. Many of the execution techniques of Demand Flow manufacturing don't require a supporting system. However, information-technology support can make it easier to do the following:

• Calculate operational cycle time

• Calculate total product cycle time (TP c/t)

• Establish a demand-based daily-rate production plan

• Manage kanban tools

• Administer demand-based forecasting of material from suppliers

• Calculate the application of overhead to TP c/t

• Calculate the resources (key machine utilization and the number of people) required to meet the daily rate

• Improve process efficiency for management reporting

• Assess production linearity for management reporting

• Compare actual versus planned production-employee efficiency

• Manage TQC operational sheets

• Maintain efficient supplier management

Demand Flow manufacturing requires substantially fewer system transactions, decreasing the company's reliance on information technology to manage transactions. However, Demand Flow manufacturing without a computer may in fact be easier than MRP II with a computer (see Figure 14.1).

Figure 14.1: Computer Role in Flow Manufacturing

Toyota and many other major flow-manufacturing companies do not use computers for the planning and execution of their flow-manufacturing processes. However, system support can assist in line design, daily management and planning, and in the forecasting and control of material movement to and from suppliers.

Traditional System Evolution

Material planning initially meant exploding a bill of material solely for calculating the purchased material needed for a product. As the traditional computer system evolved into MRP I, and as the bill of material evolved into...