Converting Line To Cellular Manufacturing

Application of Socio Technical System (STS) Principles

This table shows how various elements of the production system change when converting from a typical assembly line to cellular manufacturing. It also shows the relevant Socio Technical Systems design principle. The successful application of these principles depends greatly on the quality of the workcell design. In our experience, most workcell designs do not use these principles effectively. So it is that great opportunities are lost in many companies.

■ Workers assigned to specific stations with minimal cross-training.

■ While the line is theoretically balanced within 10%, momentary imbalances frequently stop or slow production.

■ The line is effectively balanced for the "average worker" and cannot make use of the superior worker's skills.

■ Workers may sometimes assist their immediate neighbors but it is difficult to move to other than adjacent stations and such movement is not encouraged.

■ Cycle time is too short for practical assistance of more than a half-minute.

■ Workers have little appreciation for how their own work may affect other stations.

■ Workers rotate assignments and move among stations to assist each other and balance work.

■ Workers from any station can move to a bottleneck station for temporary assistance. The group actively encourages this and achieves near-perfect balance both short and long term.

■ Workers with superior skills can effectively use such skills to assist others and raise team productivity.

■ Workers understand interrelationships between tasks.

1.3 Reduce wide variations in knowledge levels and variety through cross training. 

3.2 Give workers larger and more varied tasks and increase cycle time.

■ Workers pace themselves to line speed and individual work standards.

■ Workers have little concern for overall output.

■ Primary motivation is to not get fired (Lower order need)

■ Individuals are committed to team performance and set their own production and quality goals.

■ Peer pressure resolves most discipline problems.

■ Group interaction fulfills social and esteem needs.

1.4 Achieve High performance through commitment rather than minimal compliance. Use more carrot than stick. 

1.6 Provide opportunities to satisfy unfulfilled higher order needs. Use the intrinsic motivators. 

■ Engineers design the line and decide where, when and how tasks are performed.

■ Workers participate in the planning, design and task definition.

■ Workers establish rules and norms for their team.

1.5 Build commitment by involving people in the shaping of their future. 

■ Task training and cross training is done within the group.

■ Workers learn from the experience of others as well as from performing multiple tasks.

■ Team process learning occurs as the team coalesces and matures.

1.7 Adult learning occurs primarily through experience. Integrate learning on the job through advisors, facilitators, and guided application.

■ Quality is controlled by sampling output several times per day at the inspection department's location.

■ Some incoming inspection attempts to control input quality of parts.

■ The entire workcell team is trained for normal inspection and process control procedures.

■ SPC is utilized at specific workstations and maintained by the team.

■ SPC is applied rigorously to incoming parts.

2.1 Control variances at their source.

2.2 Ensure that the detection of a variance and the source of that variance occur in the same work group.

2.3 Maintain quality by detecting variances in the process rather than in the final product.

2.4 Monitor inputs as carefully as outputs.

■ Work platforms on the line must accommodate many significantly different models. Platforms are ill-suited for any one model.

■ Tools and fixtures for all models must be at the line causing confusion.

■ Automation is limited and expensive because it must accommodate numerous products.

■ Because each cell builds only a few highly similar models, fixtures are optimized and specific tools readily available.

■ Some operations are more easily automated with simple automation such as nut runners.

■ Certain processes can use simpler equipment because it can be purchased and optimized for only one or two models.

■ Because of lower total volume, some equipment is more manual and increases direct labor. However, this is usually offset by overall efficiency improvements.

2.6 Match technological flexibility with the product mix.

2.7 Match technology scale with production volume of the work groups.

3.4 Optimize the system rather than the system's components.

■ System designed by separate engineering department with little direct input from workers.

■ System designed from mechanistic standpoint with only token consideration of probabilistic effects and no consideration for psychological or social effects.

■ Workers participate in the planning, design and task definition.

■ STS principles employed during the design phase.

3.1 Design the Socio and Technical systems simultaneously and jointly.

■ Many support functions become team responsibilities with assistance from functional departments for difficult situations.

■ Team responsibilities include scheduling, routine maintenance, setup, housekeeping, quality, process improvement, and some HR functions.

■ Supervisors manage all daily work including task assignments and problem-solving.

■ Supervisors are highly directive leaving little opportunity for individual growth, learning or interpretation.

■ When supervisors are unavailable, individuals take no initiative and simply wait for the supervisor to return.

■ Upper management sets goals and monitors compliance with little input from supervisors and no input from workers.

■ Cultural management consists of motivational posters and an occasional pep talk.

■ Work teams manage all daily work.

■ Supervisors have become coaches. They encourage the team to resolve problems and only intercede when the team is unable to do so.

■ Coaches are the primary contacts with external departments and parties.

■ Upper management actively manages the culture through training, example, recognition and coaching.

4.1 Allow teams to manage the daily work.

4.2 Coach and facilitate rather than supervise.

4.3  Coaches should manage the team boundaries.

4.4 Upper management should set goals, supply resources and manage the culture.