Shop Floor Level Research Articles

Total Quality Management and employees' involvement: A case study of an Australian organisation

Although much has been said about people being the primary resource in an organisation practising Total Quality Management (TQM), this area has been neglected by many companies implementing TQM. This paper presents a detailed case study of an Australian organisation that is recognised as a ‘quality’ company and discusses a number of issues relating to employee involvement. The case study finds that employee involvement was a major focus of the company when TQM was first implemented. However, this was lost when the company became more outward focused. The lack of ongoing employee involvement at the shop-floor level has been identified as a major reason for the non-sustainability of TQM in the organisation.

Real time distributed shop floor scheduling using an agent-based service-oriented architecture

This paper proposes a distributed manufacturing scheduling framework at the shop floor level. The shop floor is modeled as a collection of multiple workcells. Each of which is modeled as a flexible manufacturing system. The framework consists of a distributed shop floor control structure, dynamic distributed scheduling algorithms, multi-agent system modeling of workcells, and service oriented integration of the shop floor. At the workcell level, a designated scheduler allocates jobs to resources and deals with any dynamic events locally, if possible. Otherwise, it collaborates with the other peer schedulers of workcells. Workcells are modeled as multi-agent systems. Local dynamic scheduling is achieved by the cooperation of the scheduler agent, the real time control agent and resource agents. Distributed scheduling is conducted through Web services facilitated by the service oriented shop floor integration. The proposed distributed control structure, dynamic distributed scheduling mechanisms and the system integration have been implemented using an agent-based service-oriented approach and validated through a case study.

Trabalhadores engajados para fábricas reestruturadas: o papel disciplinador do mercado de trabalho e as novas características do controle fabril

The aim of this article is to analyze some impacts of the productive restructure on the industrial labor force. I will focus on the articulation between the control that the workers experiment at shopfloor level and forms of control that arise from labor-market conditions. The analysis is based on a wide revision of the research done through 1980-2000. It considers six sectors of the Brazilian industry (automobile, electric home appliances, petrochemical/chemical, textile, shoes, and telecommunication equipment).

Supervisory control of a multi-echelon supply chain: A modular Petri net approach for inter-organizational control

Petri nets (PNs) are frequently utilized to model system dynamics due to their ability to handle concurrencies and sequential dependence. In this paper, a portion of the supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model has been extracted and modeled using PNs for the purpose of exerting supervisory control upon a multi-echelon supply chain (SC). The activities of source, make and deliver, inherent in the SCOR model form the basis of the representation of the PN model for each echelon considered in the SC model. Two control nets are utilized: one above the base model of each echelon to exert local constraints and an enterprise level supply chain manager (SCM). The local constraints are at the tactical and operational levels while the SCM enforces additional constraints consisting of long term planning goals at the strategic level. Place invariants are used to create the supervisors. Performance measures of the total SC are formulated to determine the effectiveness of any partnership. An efficient method for finding the current state of the system is developed which is used to determine the performance measures of each echelon. This paper presents a modular approach to the overall structure and PN modeling for a SC system. It is intended to extend the use of supervisory control from a shop-floor level to an inter-organizational facility and enterprise level.

Legislating at the shopfloor level: Background knowledge and relevant context of parliamentary debates

The issue of context has fuelled much debate in the social sciences, stretching from broad conceptions to narrow ones. It is our contention that ethnomethodology's unique adequacy requirement furnishes a sound solution, providing it is tamed with a conception of feasibility. Within parliaments, a distinction must be drawn between the dialogical site of parliamentary debates and their embedment within the broader dialogical network of public debates. On the dialogical site, parliamentary debates are organized in contextually dependent though institutionally constrained ways. Within dialogical networks, parliamentary debates are publicly and explicitly oriented to their social out-of-the-parliamentary-precinct dimension. The contribution first introduces the various ways in which the issue of context is tackled by the social sciences and re-specified by conversation analysis, arguing that a distinction must be drawn between background knowledge and context. Second, it turns to parliamentary contexts and argues that there is no context to hypothesise outside what is publicly available and empirically observable in the course of exchanges constituting and embodying parliamentary activities. Third, drawing from the empirical material of one specific parliamentary debate that took place in Syria on the issue of family and family law, it demonstrates that legislative activities within a Parliament are constrained by the MPs’ orientation to audiences, search for legislative relevance, and reference to, and use of, procedural rules.

Some Notes on Residual Inequality

Following empirical findings in the US wage distribution, a large debate spreads on the inequality issue. We will focus on the raise of the residual inequality, i.e. the one left unexplained by observable characteristics. In the literature, two main explanations are proposed, one based on technology, which relies on unobservable skills, in the context of Skill Biased Technical Change, and the other one based on a more standard labor economics approach that invokes a falling minimum wage effect. Although recognizing that these are important parts of the story, we will depart from both. Instead we will underline the pervasive role that institutions play in the work processes, both for the segmentation that takes place there and for the division of rents. We will stress the importance of the conflictual industrial relations in understanding the reorganization that occurred at the shop floor level from the late Seventies on, and the consequences on the wage distribution. We will present simple analytical tools that are helpful to address wage differentials, using an efficiency wage model. Finally, we will come back to US data (using March CPS) to test our theoretical predictions.

Design and implementation of an open CNC core at the shop floor level

In this paper, a new CNC core design method, the function-separated design (FSD) method, is proposed to increase the modularity and reconfigurability of CNC systems, simplify the CNC development process, as well as gain a secondary development ability to allow customers or third parties to add or modify NC functions at the shop floor level. With the FSD method, a new CNC core structure is built. In this structure, the CNC core is composed of three main components: engine machine interface, event processor (EP), and system description data (SDD). The engine machine interface provides an interface to machine tools through the parameter settings via a human machine interface (HMI). The EP and SDD are the most important parts. The SDD stores the control rules and modularized NC functions. It is designed as the relatively separated part inside the CNC core. It can also be modified according to the specification changes to access the functions of the CNC core at the shop floor level. To ease the modification of the SDD on the shop floor, the Statechart modeling tool is used to generate a CNC function model; meanwhile, an SDD generator is developed to convert this model into the SDD. The EP is driven by events from the event generator and processes these events by referring to the SDD. The EP always remains the same. With such a structure, the control rules and NC functions of a CNC core can be redesigned or upgraded easily. A case study for implementing a non-circular piston-turning system verifies the feasibility of the proposed design method at the shop floor level.

A Modular Synthesis Approach for Distributed Safety Controllers, Part B:⋆ Modular Control Synthesis

The contribution provides an approach for formal synthesis of controllers that ensure safe operation on the shop floor level. It is structured into two parts.Part B presents the modular synthesis approach. It is based on the modular backward search in order to avoid the complexity of generating all states and state transitions of the plant model. It therefore uses modular backward steps that describe the trajectories leading to forbidden states. The generation of these trajectories is stopped as soon as a controllable (in our case preventable) step is found. From this information the models of the controllers are generated. Each controller has decision functions and communications functions. Together they establish a network of local, interacting controllers with communication. Up to now, we suppose that the plant is completely observable, i.e. the local controllers have complete information of the local states of the partial plants they are supposed to control. The method is illustrated by taking the example from Part A.

A Modular Synthesis Approach for Distributed Safety Controllers, Part A:⋆ Modelling and Specification

The contribution provides an approach for formal synthesis of controllers ensuring safe operation on the shop floor level. It is structured into two parts.Part A presents an introduction and a survey of related work. It gives a definition of a modular DEDS model that extends ordinary Petri nets in order to provide a modular, compositional approach for designing models of the uncontrolled plant behaviour and to define controllable local state transitions. Specifications are given in terms of safety properties by means of state predicates that may be local to each partial plant or even global ones spanning across more than one partial plant. The synthesized controllers have to prevent the specified states. The major novel result of this part of the contribution is the definition of the behaviour of the plant without its complete composition. This means that the behaviour can be studied by means of modular steps within the modules and their interaction across module boundaries. This provides the basis for Part B of the contribution. An example taken from a physically real lab manufacturing system illustrates the modelling methodology and provides the plant model for the synthezis approach that is presented in Part B.

A generic platform to address event-based problems for universal applications: supervisory control and simulation

This paper proposes the framework and implementation architecture of a combined real-time shopfloor data collection (monitor) and Discrete Event Simulation (DES) system. It highlights the practical implementation and potential benefits of using predictive (multipass) simulation in combination with real-time Data Acquisition (DAQ) in dealing with the complexity of manufacturing environments. Normally, by nature, these environments face unpredictable events that challenge their predetermined plans and schedules. The proposed framework makes the development of a generic hybrid control capability for flexible manufacturing environments possible. This paper describes a solution that combines the advantages of real-time shopfloor control and DAQ systems and mathematical modelling tools such as DES that rely on historical data for improved system performance. It bridges the gap that currently exists between shopfloor level control/monitoring systems and higher level enterprise information systems such as Material Requirement Planning (MRP/MRP II) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

Design of an agent-based distant and distributed manufacturing control system

The design of distant and distributed monitoring and controlling the progress of tasks in a shop-floor level of a manufacturing system is more complicated than a commercial one. In this study, we proposed a design method for the distant manufacturing control using agent-based approach. A reference model using object-oriented technology is presented to facilitate the development of distant and distributed monitoring and controlling of a manufacturing system. We have successfully implemented a distant manufacturing control prototype based on the proposed reference model in a lab scale.

Chip form modelling and chip-forming animation in oblique cutting

The reliability of machining operation is an essential requirement in a modern production system. Chip control is one major aspect with regard to turning operation and becomes significant in industrial automation. At present, toolpath simulation is available in most computer aided manufacturing (CAM) systems. However, only the rendering scene of the stock material shape changing during cutting and the resultant part are shown. The chips formed in the machining process are not modelled or displayed in the simulation. To assess the chip control properly, many models and simulation methods were developed for predicting the chip forms produced in the cutting operation. If the chip forms can be predicted using some of the mathematical models, the design and planning of the machining operation can be greatly assisted, especially in the shop-floor level. Apart from chip form prediction, modelling of the machining process and chip formation are also issues that must be considered. To do this, a chip modelling and simulation system is proposed. Based on the machining parameters settings, the corresponding chip model can be calculated and simulated for more realistic analysis. The present paper first outlines the chip form mathematical model being used. The criteria to ensure that the theoretical model can be used to calculate the practical chip models effectively are described. Then the modelling of the chips and the simulation of the chip forming with computer graphic animation are explained. Several sets of turning parameters are used as examples to demonstrate how the corresponding chip models are calculated from the proposed system.

The implementation of democratic justice regimes in the Israeli taxi sector: Economic imperative or ethnic origin?

Ideology and economic imperative are important factors shaping distinct forms of democratic governance structures in work organizations. This study asks whether ethnicity is another factor. To answer this question we compare the implementation of democratic justice regimes in 45 Jewish and Arab taxi stations in Israel. We focus on three measures of workplace democracy: (1) the election of managers by drivers in taxi stations, (2) the separation of powers between the executive and the judicial branches and (3) the establishment of mechanisms for equal distribution of rewards among all the drivers. Our findings show that on an institutional level Jewish stations seem to be more democratic in their structure than Arab stations. Yet, on the shop floor level members of Arab private stations enjoy more workplace democracy than their Jewish counterparts in the form of a system that promotes egalitarian distribution of rewards.

Study and analysis of maintenance performance indicators (MPIs) for LKAB

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to identify and develop maintenance performance indicators (MPIs) for a mineral processing plant producing high quality iron ore pellets, as well as studying and analyzing the short plant stops and planned maintenance stops.Design/methodology/approachAn action research approach was adopted for this study, with interactive process of interviews. The existing MPIs are analyzed and a set of MPIs are developed to measure the performance of balling area of the pelletization plant, where the effect of shorter stops in the process have been studied, analyzed and measured, and linked to the management's objectives. The utility of the MPIs are tested and validated within the framework of a multi‐criterion and hierarchical maintenance performance measurement (MPM) framework. The plant stop data of the plant were collected and analyzed for MPIs and for maintenance decision making. Some other criteria were also considered from a holistic, integrated and balanced viewpoint in the model.FindingsThis study resulted in identifying a set of MPIs for the operational level of the pelletization plant of LKAB, after analyzing the short plant stops and planned maintenance stops data, and the stakeholders' requirements. This study has identified nine MPIs at operational level or shop floor level that describe the status of plant and at the same time facilitates linking of plant performance with corporate strategy.Practical implicationsThe approach used in the paper to study, analyze and develop MPIs, can be useful for plant managers and asset owners to select and develop MPIs that can describe the health status of their plant and asset and that also can be linked to the corporate strategy. The framework used to verify the multi‐criteria hierarchical framework can also be used by similar asset managers and infrastructure owners. This study has also lifted the impact of short duration stoppages, thus highlighting the total influence in terms of reduced life length, quality and productivity. This approach can be used by plant engineers, asset managers and infrastructure owners to assess the performance of maintenance process.Originality/valueThis paper presents an approach for identifying MPIs relevant to the plant status and facilitating measuring maintenance performance at corporate level in a structured way.

Developing criteria for healthy organizational change

The objective of this study was to identify criteria for healthy change in organizations and to develop practical guidelines for intended change. We aimed to explore how change processes at the shop floor level can be better informed by consultants and labour inspectors. A total of 180 interviews were conducted with managers and employees in 90 units of public and private organizations in Norway. The interviews were analysed through four steps representing an expansion of grounded theory, and converted to qualitative analysis using QSR and N6 software. We found that organizational change processes were better managed by more attention to awareness of the local norms and diversity among employees in the perception and reactions to change efforts. An inspector or consultant should be aware of these phenomena in any change effort and tell the organization how to deal with them. The other three factors identified were early role clarification, manager availability, and using constructive conflicts to deal with change. They are all important coping mechanisms at the organizational level that will bring change processes onto a more optimal track if correctly managed. A healthy process empowers individuals instead of making them insecure and defensive in times of change. This will help them restore perceived control and promote job security, which benefits both them and the organization.

Distributed adaptive control of production scheduling and machine capacity

This paper considers modeling and simulation of a unified control system that uses a continuous control-theoretic approach for distributed production scheduling at the shop floor and machine capacity control at the CNC level. Specifically, a distributed production scheduling method is unified with a distributed machine capacity control to generate realistic schedules considering the available capacity of production resources. In this distributed control system, machine capacity is adaptively controlled based on current physical conditions of the production resources and changes in production demands at the shop-floor level as well. The proposed system considers a multi-attribute objective that consists of production rate and product quality, production cost, and mean-squared deviation of job completions about due dates. The results obtained from the computational experiments show that the proposed system can improve the system performance through fully utilizing machine capacity while reducing production costs, production delays, missed deliveries, and customer dissatisfaction.

An effective joint X-bar and R chart to monitor the process mean and variance

When the shift occurs in both sample mean and standard deviation of a process, a joint X-bar and R charts can be used to monitor the process mean and variance. This paper deals with very simple and effective design of proposed X-bar and R charts to monitor the process mean and standard deviation. The concept of the proposed chart is based upon the sum of chi-square (χ) to compute and compare Average Run Length values (ARLs). Although Variable Sample Size (VSS), Variable Sampling Interval (VSI) and Variable Sample Size and Sampling Interval (VSSI) joint charts are very useful to catch the small shifts in the mean or standard deviation, they make the chart more complex and very difficult to use at shop-floor level. The performance of the proposed chart has been compared with VSS, VSI and VSSI joint schemes proposed by Costa (1999).

Japanese Production Management and Improvements in Standard Operations: Taylorism, Corrected Taylorism, or Otherwise?

What is behind the high level of quality control in Japanese manufacturing companies? This paper looks at the methods used to control standard operations in Japanese companies, with close attention to standard operating procedures and other formal documents involved on the mass-production shopfloor. Two points emerge about Japanese manufacturing companies — firstly, operational groups at shopfloor level have the authority to rewrite standard operating procedures, and secondly, standard operations (centred on the operational group) are managed on the basis of a clear separation of roles at shopfloor level. This role division leads to continual changes in standard operations, a factor not found in Chinese or US companies, where managerial practices are based on orthodox Taylorism. Japanese companies have thus modified the shopfloor relationships based on the European and American Taylorist concept of ‘separation of conception and execution’. Nevertheless, the modifications are only partial, and firm control of standard operations is made possible by retention of managerial authority at the team leader level. Therefore, the key to transferring the Japanese managerial approach is educating, training and encouraging engineers who can resolve problems at team leader level and within the manufacturing process.

Prioritizing tactical quality improvement

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test a method for improving decision‐making at a tactical level – i.e. at the shop floor level. This is done by testing the use of the binary sorting algorithm (BSA) to improve decisions concerning quality improvement efforts among machine operators in a plastics manufacturer.Design/methodology/approachThe method used was the “action‐research” approach since the researchers were actively involved in the training, implementation, and use of the BSA.FindingsIt was found that using the BSA to prioritize quality improvement efforts by machine operators reduced the “scrap‐from‐line” rate in a plastics manufacturer.Research limitations/implicationsThe study should be replicated in different companies and industries using multiple methods because action‐research is limited in its generalizability. Also, since the researchers are actively involved in the process, our observations could not be considered objective.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this is the first application of the BSA to improve decision‐making at a tactical shop‐floor level in a manufacturing company.

Resisting corporate communications: Insights into folk linguistics

Focus group research is used to examine how employees read corporate communications, supplying empirical evidence of an apparently resilient and shared anti-management discourse at the shopfloor level. The main contribution of the article lies in showing how such traditional attitudes are reproduced through employees' cynical readings of corporate communications. The article complements more conventional modes of discourse analysis by exploring how employees analyse text; how they identify discursive controversies and find evidence of ‘conniving’ management. Considering such processes reveals points of interest about how employees' folk linguistic competencies are locally deployed in ways that reproduce class-based logics and sentiments.