Veterans would recall the bad old days of 60s, 70s, 80s when there used to be long obnoxious Queues seen everywhere for anything and everything. A significant proportion of our lives must have been spent standing in queues and waiting for our turn. Right from Banks to buying train tickets, to boarding a bus, to buy ration or movie tickets , to hire a taxi and even for paying money ( for electricity bill or taxes one had to take half day leave and stand in long queue ).
People sitting on the other side of counter got some feeling of feudal elation seeing long queue before them and when they sadistically lashed people with unfriendly rules … they felt it made them that much more “important” and “sought after” ; rather than realizing and being sensitive to “inadequacy” on their part OR on part of the system design.
Thankfully, with extensive computerization and digitalization that came after 80s the situation has greatly improved.
- Government Taxes and Bills can now be paid on-line and also the returns are credited into account digitally without followup.
- E – commerce has enabled large scale “shop from home” and “book from home” movement.
- “Work from Home” was a big relief during Corona times
- Most interactions / dealings now have a provision of feedback in terms of star rating for “QUALITY” perception.
- Even work system and rules and regulations have become a lot simpler and user / process friendly.
What has happened in our lives could also happen in “manufacturing processes” with digitalization and automation.
- Designers sitting in ivory towers specify some unrealistic manufacturing tolerances, based on blind Design standards and Machine Accuracy Data Sheets … which the lesser mortals at shop floor struggle to achieve them.
- Failing which they indulge in passing the buck and blame game.
- Once Designers are able to see the data of actual tolerances that shop has actually been able to achieve; that could become the DFM ( Design for Manufacturability) norm.
- This way the senior management also would know what “mileage to expect realistically” rather than latching on to claimed accuracy figure by equipment sellers fine printed “under test conditions”
- This itself will bring down rejections in down- stream process and control Cost of Poor Quality significantly … and pave the way for “Quality by Design”
- Digitalization and Simulation helps enterprise to forecast “queues” within shop floor in day to day production environment and by capacity balancing and streamlining the work flow … queues could be largely eliminated.
- Advanced simulation also helps determining optimal process parameters and cutter life e.g., prediction and minimization of chatter marks in machining … improving the quality expectancy from the system.
“Waiting” is a MUDA … anything waiting for any reason represents a productivity loss in terms of blocked capital and / or capacity utilization. Queues are an open expression of such losses … be it in manufacturing OR in our daily life.
AVINASH KHARE