Sessions
Session 21
Production Networks for Mass customization
Tuesday Oct 6 2009
10:40-12:00
Beyer, Stefan (Spain)
Poler, Raul (Spain)
REMPLANET: Resilient Multi-Plant Networks
The REMPLANET Project mission is the development of methods, guidelines and tools for the implementation of the Resilient Multi-Plant Networks Model in non-hierarchical manufacturing networks, characterised by non-centralised decision making.?A resilient organization effectively aligns its strategy, operations, management systems, governance structure, and decision-support capabilities so that it can uncover and adjust to continually changing risks, endure disruptions to its primary earnings drivers, and create advantages over less adaptive competitors.?The research will consider and balance both operational resilience and strategic resilience in the context of machinery and equipment global manufacturing networks; operational flexibility-agility, and strategic innovation-renewal. REMPLANET model and tools will focus on the integration of the customer driven innovation influence in the products and manufacturing processes design, and the responsiveness to customised market demands of the related non-hierarchical global manufacturing networks processes under a real-time non-centralised decision making context.?Theoretical research and related tools will be contrasted, validated, and enhanced through empirical cases (pilots) from different machinery and equipment enterprise networks which have multi-site and multi-nation manufacturing plants, as well as customers distributed around the globe.
Saiz, Eduardo (Ikerlan, Spain)
Bimatec-Soraluce REMPLANET Pilot: Integration of a new product catalogue process generation and resilient supply network configurations for several customised demand scenarios and global manufacturing network conditions
In order to compete against low cost Asian machine tool builders, more than you it is becoming crucial to think about you do the relationship and commitment degree with critical clients and providers in the complete value chain; in other words, the resilience of the networked model that a company configures. Bimatec-Soraluce’s main targeted sectors are General Machining and Subcontractors, Capital Goods, Railway industry, Power Generation and Automotive Industry. Its targeted geographical markets are concentrated in West and East Europe, including Russia and Turkey. Nevertheless, emerging markets demand (such as China, India) is increasing very significantly in recent years. Bimatec-Soraluce aims to offer a maximal customization degree to the market in its architecture. Actually, the dimension, variability and customization degree of this pilot, is reflected by a company with more than 500 different references and 3.000 components with technological complexity, nearly 100 providers integrated in the value chain, and 12 product families with more than 60 optional equipment for each product. Inside REMPLANET (FP7-NMP-2008-SMALL-2) project, Bimatec-Soraluce pilot will work specially on 2 critical families of the 12 mentioned ones. Developments will be later implemented to the rest. Both families have a total production lead time bigger than the delivery time accepted from their markets. Therefore, production plans have to be established on the basis of demand forecasts. When customer orders arrive, machines in process must be assigned and reconfigured for each one. To do the assignment, some relevant information like similarity degree between orders and actual launched machines, machines process status, plants load capacity balance, plants capabilities, subcontracting availability or customer location needs has to be used. Customer requirements will be taken into account in machine modules customization (e.g. head group that fixes the precision and power of the machine). It comprises a technical complex problem including several types of technologies (mechanical, hydraulic, electrical) for product and process design. In addition, it is necessary to incorporate and manage multiple Bimatec-Soraluce network agents (suppliers, subcontractors, Danobat Group companies, technological centres) so much in the product/process co design with the customer as in the supply network resources design and management that will be activated to deliver the order in term and price agreed.
Ihlenburg, Ditmar (Festo AG & Co., Germany)
Bernas, Michael (Festo AG & Co., Germany)
Managing customer interaction in innovation processes with value creation networks
The article focuses on the following questions: How can the mechanical and plant engineering industry provide targeted application and solution knowledge on an electronic platform? What role do web services play in intelligent searching for application / solution knowledge and in efficient communication and interaction between providers and consumers of this knowledge? Draft results and experiences of prototypical use of THESEUS will be presented as a electronic platform for solution knowledge exchange for solutions in the mechanical engineering industry in the early stage of the innovation process.
Skjelstad, Lars (Norwegian University of Technology, Norway)
Armati, Andrea (University of Bergamo, Italy)
Borgonovo, Mattia (University of Bergamo, Italy)
Potential for Mass Customization in Norwegian manufacturing industry
One of the aspects of Mass Customization (MC) is to provide products or services that satisfy individual customer’s needs and simultaneously meet manufactures’ economic objectives. This paper presents results from a survey developed to 1) assess the approaches to realise and exercise the Mass Customization strategy, 2) to unveil the potential for MC within the companies, and 3) to ascertain the potential competitive benefits and improvements of strategic positionig of the company in its market place, achivied through the applications of MC principles. The survey is a questionnaire of best practices, divided in 5 topics (Production & Organization, Product, Administrative processes and ICT, Market, and People), sent to 343 Norvegian companies in different industries. The objective is to understand and analyze the spread of Mass Customization in the firms, and how they develop and improve their goods and services using Mass Customization principles.