Description
History and Future
Compared to other manufacturing systems Agile is a relatively new term in the industry. It is still not yet completely understood and its aspects are still being defined. Although many businesses have not completely understood the idea and are not yet fully aware of its potential, it is likely to be the most popular type of manufacturing for the next century.
Agile Manufacturing vs Lean Manufacturing and other types of Manufacturing Processes
Agile manufacturing is an evolution from lean manufacturing in fact, normally, a company first becomes lean before becoming agile. In agile, manufacturers have to meet their customers' demands but at the same time they have to also meet their own requirements with respect to saving money and not wasting time. These two aspects are both being brought through from lean manufacturing.
The main aspects that differentiate the two are the Customer Order Cycle or the COC and the lead time. The COC is the time that the customers are willing to wait for their products while the lead time is elapsed between the start of the process and when it is turned into a finished product. For agile production, a short COC is favorable.
Unlike lean production which is an enhancement of mass production, agile manufacturing breaks off with mass production and instead puts its focus on mass customization. This gives the company greater flexibility for customized products. While lean relies on smooth production scheduling, agile accepts and embraces the reality of the changing market.
The main aspects that differentiate the two are the Customer Order Cycle or the COC and the lead time. The COC is the time that the customers are willing to wait for their products while the lead time is elapsed between the start of the process and when it is turned into a finished product. For agile production, a short COC is favorable.
Unlike lean production which is an enhancement of mass production, agile manufacturing breaks off with mass production and instead puts its focus on mass customization. This gives the company greater flexibility for customized products. While lean relies on smooth production scheduling, agile accepts and embraces the reality of the changing market.
Key Elemets
There are four key elements
- Modular product design
- Information Technology
- Corporate Partners
- Knowledge of culture