Proof of The Pudding Is In The Making Of It: Is Production and Operations Management So Simple!

Chapter 1

Proof Of The Pudding Is In The

Making Of It

Production and operations management (POM) is one of the functions of overall management of an organization, like marketing management and human resource management. Somebody may get sales orders for a product or service, but it has to be made/arranged and physically delivered to the customer to the latter’s satisfaction; this is done by POM. The proof of the pudding is in eating it. The pudding is made and supplied by POM. Human resources management comes after that – in order to take care of the makers, deliverers and promoters.

An athlete in a running race may know the target, the capabilities of other athletes, their previous performance history and so on; all that is of no avail until she runs and wins.

Her face may be full of determination and competition rage at the start of the competition; but, the real test comes when she runs with her feet flying from the ground and hands pushing back and forth to provide the surge to her body. She has to be flexible, nimble, quick, fast and vigilant of the other competitors; and she should not tire out. Her physio may be there to help her; but, that is after the race.

POM has always been there, even before the present day corporate world came into existence. When my great grandmother did her chores in order to deliver daily a great meal to all of us – on time three times a day – it was nothing short of any other POM.

When your great grandfather tilled the land, and took care of milk cattle, he was running an operation to keep his family well-fed and clothed. He had to not only take care of seeds and fodder but also, very importantly, mind the seasons, the timely tilling and preparing the land, timely sowing, and on time harvesting.

However, in the huge spectacle and sound of the modern industrial processing machines and the razzle-dazzle of mind-boggling and senses-satisfying services of the present-day world, we momentarily forget that the unassuming basic jobs remain the same. We just have to remove the clutter. Whether it is military operations or civilian, the simple basics are more or less similar. Timely strikes with surgical precision are as much important in military operations as in the competitive global market.

Chapter 2

Time

In general, the phrase ‘Production and Operations Management’ conjures up images of materials, machines and men furiously working at or with them. We also think of the amount of money that is required to have these resources. Rarely does the thought of the other resource, ‘time’, flash in our mind.

However, a foremost principle in managing operations is that of minimizing time. As we said, this may sound inappropriate. Is ‘time’ a physical resource? – one may ask. Well; Time is money. The more time we spend, the more it costs us. For instance, our own time costs us. Time is not free.

Money – in any form either as materials, machines, manpower or plain simple cash – kept for a length of time costs more money.

Moreover, remember: ‘Time and tide wait for no one’. Time that is lost does not return. Time is a precious resource.

The MUST super-principle

MINIMISE:

Using

Storing and

Transporting time

Operations use resources – material and men/women. All resources – whether it is palpable ‘material’ like a metal sheet, a non-palpable resource like broadband for the internet, mind power like that of an engineer or a doctor diagnosing a patient – cost more when used over a longer time period. ‘Minimize Using Time’ means minimize the total time taken to perform any operation. Thus, the dictum is to ‘Reduce Operation Times’.

Principle 1

Reduce Operation Times

Towards this goal:

1. Design parts or components of the operation so that each of the parts takes minimum possible time. Towards this:

We may use more time-efficient technology; like using Automation and Robotics for producing parts or carrying out chemical/electrochemical processes.

Utilize ‘Design for Manufacturing’ (DFM) and make production setups and manufacturing operations simple. This technique will be elaborated in a later chapter.

Apply ‘Time Study’ and ‘Methods Study’ towards time-efficiency in various tasks. These techniques will also be explained in a later chapter.

‘Reduce’:

Operations management’s important mantra

2. Study the flow of work in the process. Arrange for a smooth flow in all processes.

FLOW PRINCIPLE

Note that everything is a process: An ophthalmic surgeon removing a cataract is a process; a software engineer writing a program is a process; a Drive-in restaurant taking your order and delivering the take-away food items is a process; and a telephone receptionist taking calls and transferring them is also a process. Of course, an automobile being assembled is a process, as we all know.

Arrange the components of work in such a way that the flow of work is as smooth, un-interrupted and continuous as possible. The important word is ‘Flow’. Ensure a smooth flow. It is the stoppages that consume time (it is obvious), expend our mental energy in locating the stops or hitches and removing them, and in stitching the follow-up or downstream operation with the stalled operation.

An important principle, therefore, is:

Principle 2

The Flow Principle

which says

Ensure a Smooth Uninterrupted Flow

Remember, the beauty of an Assembly Line is in its uninterrupted flow. Work on the assembly line flows like a stream of water. Hence, assembly line is a phenomenally efficient management tool. It has been one of the revolutionary concepts in the history of management.

The idea behind ‘balancing an assembly line’ is also to ensure a uniform and unhindered flow of work, along the line from its start to a complete product, at the