A traditional lean transformation process does not validate the future state before implementation, relying instead on a series of iterations to modify the system until performance is satisfactory. An enhanced lean process that includes future state validation before implementation is presented....

Under the influence of the economic conditions and the pressure to withstand market competition, companies nowadays should become more and more interested in differentiating their products relative to other businesses in the industry. In this context the concept of positive variation is one of...

Concurrent design can reduce the time required to develop new products and redesign old ones. In contrast to the conventional approach, in which the product design is (nearly) completed before it is "thrown over the wall" to the process design group, concurrent design for manufacturability, as...

An interpretative chart is proposed on several levels, which on the one hand acts as a key to the actions aimed at revision of simultaneous design criteria, and on the other is a methodological indication of how to articulate simultaneous actions on the product and the process. For each level...

As more manufactures struggle with global markets, competition from “low cost” countries, and faltering home economies, the attention of many manufacturers has naturally turned to cost and waste reduction. Yet, while major quality and productivity benefits are being generated in many...