Cris Holder graduated from department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering in 2000. 

Project title: The Synthesis of Lean Thinking and Quick Response Manufacturing .

(Summer 2000)

Abstract

 In today’s corporate environment, price and quality have become expected standards, and are no longer seen as competitive advantages. Corporations are looking for new competitive advantages that will propel them past competitors. Currently, corporations are competing against speed of delivery to a customer. Time-based competition, when combined with price and quality, can create a new competitive advantage. A new system called best-of-breed, which is a syntheses of the lean thinking and quick response manufacturing approaches, was created to help organizations compete using time. An implementation plan using this new system was developed for a pilot area of a production aircraft line. The plan was reviewed by managers and a quiz was used to determine ease of implementation. Their reactions, suggestions and comments are discussed in this paper. The conclusion drawn from this project is that for a new system to be successful, it must be fully implemented and supported by the whole organization. It is crucial for all members of the organization to remain loyal to the newly implemented changes so that the system can be pure and fully functional. A “pick and choose” methodology will only create a fragmented system.