ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the three basic phases involved in converting a work area into a manufacturing cell: understanding the conditions, converting to a process-based layout and continuously improving the process. The team collects data such as the product mix and resources available for production. In addition to reviewing the product mix, the team gathers baseline information about production resources, such as shifts per day, hours per shift; break time, and work days per month. The team also documents the layout and flow of the process, using process route analysis to determine product families and drawing a process map on a Standard Work Sheet. A process route analysis table like the one in helps the team identify processing similarities between different products. Next, the team draws a process map, which shows the equipment layout and the path the product takes through the process.
