The manufacturing process is a complex one that can be impacted by many factors: supplies, equipment, factory overhead, the need for special parts, and the people who work at all points in the process. The more variables there are, the greater the possibility of disruption to the smooth operations of a factory. Management styles can also have a positive or negative impact on this process.
Many manufacturers depend on raw materials supplied from outside sources. Some of the factors that can delay or hamper a regular delivery schedule include a glitch at the site of a supply source, problems with transportation or inclement weather. If supplies are not forthcoming as needed, the potential for shutdown or a major slowdown in the manufacturing process can result. Alternatively, a smooth supply operation and well-managed inventory promote production as scheduled.
When a manufacturing process involves complex machines to complete production, a temporary malfunction or a breakdown in an intricate piece of equipment can affect the manufacturing process. Identifying means of improving efficiency of all working parts of production promotes a continual and more efficient operation. Positioning of equipment and the personnel required to operate machines can also affect production. In a paper on manufacturing cycle times, Mandar M. Chincholkar of Intel Corporation and several of his academic and research colleagues explain the concept of "process drift," which they describe as a common occurrence in manufacturing processes where machines fail to function properly due to lack of cleaning.
Manufacturers depend on utilities to power machines, cool equipment and light the workspace in their factories. Even a temporary shutdown of the power supply or lack of a steady water source can impact production, thus affecting the manufacturing process. In addition, management style can have a significant impact on production in both negative and positive ways.
In the textbook "Operations Management," professors R. Dan Reid of the University of New Hampshire and Nada R. Sanders of Lehigh University posit "conformance to specifications" as one definition of quality in manufacturing. They cite as an example the situation of machine parts being built to specs. Here, an unforeseen change in made-to-order parts can have a significant impact on the manufacturing process, especially if the parts are shipped over long distances from offsite. Disparities in quality may require multiple orders for the same inventory, resulting in delays and temporary slowdowns or shutdowns of the manufacturing process.
The workforce, especially "touch labor," the workers directly involved in the manufacturing process, can affect that process in many ways. For example, sick days and vacations taken by key personnel must be figured into production to prevent a negative impact on manufacturing. An intangible factor that affects the manufacturing process and is dealt with after the fact is human error. Alternatively, human insight into a manufacturing process leading to more labor-efficient and cost-effective methods of production can affect the manufacturing process in a positive way. For example, In a paper published by MIT, William C. Jordan and Stephen C. Graves cite flexibility as a key strategy in improving the manufacturing process. This involves being able to manufacture different products in the same plant at the same time.
- MIT: Principles on the Benefits of Manufacturing Process Flexibility
- Operations Management; Fourth Edition, R. Dan Reid and Nada R. Sanders, 2009
- Principles of Accounting: Chapter 17 Introduction to Managerial Accounting
- Principles of Accounting: Chapter 19 Job Costing and Modern Cost Management Systems
- University of Maryland Institute for Systems Research, Clark School of Engineering: Estimating Manufacturing Cycle Time and Throughput in Flow Shops with Process Drift and Inspection
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