Two Case Problems, using APA formatting and ensuring your answers are in-depth and well-thought-out.
There is no page requirement, but you will be graded on how technical and practical your answers are.
Question go to below link
#1st
http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-a…
#2nd
CASE PROBLEM 16.3
Leaning the Warehouse
“We are interested in lean training for our distribution center
workers. Can you provide that for us, Professor Warren?” the
(DC) manager inquired.
“Yes, we have training material on lean systems and would
be happy to facilitate a series of workshops for you and your
employees. We usually start with a week of manager or supervisor
training and then move on to front-line employee workshops
one day a week for about two months. As your workers
gain experience participating in improvement teams, we would
return for day-long workshops once a month for six months after
that. The entire process takes about a year, after which time
your facility would have its own lean trainers certifi ed to . . .”
“Actually,” interrupted the manager, “we don’t need to
educate our supervisors on lean—just our hourly workers,
and I think that could be done in about two days, one day
for each shift.”
“I see,” replied Professor Warren. “Perhaps you could tell
me more about what your lean objectives are and why you’re
seeking lean training at this time.”
“Sure. We’re implementing a new performance-based pay
system from corporate in which our industrial engineering staff
has determined how long workers should take to complete a task
and what a day’s output should be. We’ll be recording task completion
times and daily throughput with scanners and comparing
those with the standards that have been developed. Those workers
who beat the standard receive bonus pay; those who do not
risk losing their position. Our pilot project at the Atlanta DC
didn’t go very well. None of the workers met standard and they
didn’t seem to get how important this is. For example, they’d be
running off looking for tools, or moving the same merchandise
several times to get an aisle clear or to reach a pallet in back, or
picking what they’d just put away, or stopping one task to work
on another more urgent one. So we thought if we taught them
lean principles for eliminating waste, it’d be easier to get the job
done, and performance against standard would improve.”
1. Explain the different views of lean in this case. What might
Professor Warren include in his more extensive training
program?
2. What elements of lean would be most useful to the DC
manager and his staff?
3. Are the manager’s views of lean realistic? What is the best
he can hope to achieve in the time allotted?
4. What might be some drawbacks in approaching lean implementation
in this way? What might be some advantages?
Does warehouse work lend itself to lean?
