Supply Chain Management - Books, Research Papers and Articles - Bibliography

Global Supply Chain and Operations Management: A Decision-Oriented Introduction to the Creation of Value

Dmitry Ivanov, Alexander Tsipoulanidis, Jörn Schönberger

Springer Nature, 19-Nov-2021 - Business & Economics - 673 pages

The third edition of this textbook comprehensively discusses global supply chain and operations management (SCOM), combining value creation networks and interacting processes. It focuses on operational roles within networks and presents the quantitative and organizational methods needed to plan and control the material, information, and financial flows in supply chains. Each chapter begins with an introductory case study, while numerous examples from various industries and services help to illustrate the key concepts. The book explains how to design operations and supply networks and how to incorporate suppliers and customers. It examines how to balance supply and demand, a core aspect of tactical planning, before turning to the allocation of resources to meet customer needs. In addition, the book presents state-of-the-art research reflecting the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerging, fast-paced developments in the digitalization of supply chain and operations management.

This textbook can be used in core, specialized, and advanced classes alike. 

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=tfFPEAAAQBAJ

Supply Chain Management Best Practices

David Blanchard

John Wiley & Sons, 09-Jun-2021 - Business & Economics - 320 pages

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES

Although the fundamentals of the supply chain industry remain constant, massive shifts in the demands of the marketplace and powerful new technologies have changed the way supply chain and transportation companies must engage with and deliver solutions to their clients.

In the newly revised Third Edition of Supply Chain Management Best Practices, noted journalist and supply chain expert David Blanchard delivers a compelling and comprehensive overview of the new technologies shaping the transportation and supply chain industries today and the processes that will transform them tomorrow.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=IhYsEAAAQBAJ

SCM

James R Stock and Manrodt

2020

https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/supply-chain-management-stock/M9781260395594.html

Excellence in Supply Chain Management

Balram Avittathur, Debabrata Ghosh

Routledge, 12-May-2020 - Business & Economics - 136 pages

Recent decades have witnessed an explosion in supply chain complexity. Very few firms have succeeded in building excellent supply chains and employing supply chain management (SCM) as a competitive advantage. For the ones which have developed enhanced supply chain design and process capabilities, their performance has far exceeded their competitors'. While for the vast majority of firms, SCM still remains a means of reducing costs and improving efficiency, for the excellent ones, SCM has turned into a source for value creation. What factors drive firms towards supply chain excellence? How can real differentiation be created through supply chains? Excellence in Supply Chain Management examines the characteristics and features of firms that excel in SCM.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=nGsPEAAAQBAJ

In the above supply chain analytics is an interesting chapter

Cost Management in Supply Chains

Stefan Seuring, Maria Goldbach

Springer Science & Business Media, 09-Mar-2013 - Business & Economics - 435 pages

Supply Chain Management and Cost Management are important developments helping companies to respond to increased global competition and demanding customer needs. Within the 23 chapters of the book, more than 35 authors provide insights into new concepts for cost control in supply chains. The frameworks presented are illustrated with case studies from the automotive, textile, white goods, and transportation industry as well as from retailing. Academics will benefit from the wide range of approaches presented, while practitioners will learn from the examples how their own company and the supply chains which they compete in, can be brought to lower costs and better performance.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=8_7uCAAAQBAJ

Supply Chain Management

Academica, 2010 - Business logistics - 395 pages

Handbook of Global Supply Chain Management

John T. Mentzer, Matthew B. Myers, Theodore P. Stank

SAGE, 2007 - Business & Economics - 585 pages

Includes methods and perspectives on global logistics and supply chain management that have emerged from logistics, marketing, management, economics, sociology, personnel, information systems, and international relation. Provides a comprehensive understanding and assessment of the field of global logistics and supply chain management. Describes and critically examines the key perspectives guiding global logistics and supply chain management, taking stock of what we know (and don't know) about them. Identifies emerging developments and delineate their significance to the practice of global logistics and supply chain management. Employs top flight international researchers from both academia and practice to provide a broad range of ideas and applications.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=6Kg5DQAAQBAJ

In the above Supplier relationship management is an important chapter.

Supply Chain Management

John T. Mentzer

SAGE, 2001 - Business & Economics - 512 pages

This work presents a comprehensive model of supply chain management. Experienced executives from 20 companies clearly define supply chain management, identifying those factors that contribute to its effective implementation. They provide practical guidelines on how companies can manage supply chains, addressing the role of all the traditional business functions in supply chain management and suggest how the adoption of a supply chain management approach can affect business strategy and corporate performance.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Y60qVumXKEwC  

In the above, chapter 1 What is supply chain management is an interesting one.   

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=XWBWeXDYED0C

2013

Best and All Time Best Supply Chain Management Books

- Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage by Charles H. Fine

- Designing and Managing the Supply Chain by David Simchi-Levi, Philip Kaminsky and Edith Simchi-Levi

- Essentials of Supply Chain Management by Michael H. Hugos

- Logistics and Supply Chain Management by Martin Christopher, 2013

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=6Y-6FFgOUPkC

- Logistics Management and Strategy: Competing through the Supply Chain   by Alan Harrison and Remko Van Hoek

- Purchasing and Supply Chain Management by Robert Monczka, Robert Handfield, Larry Giunipero and James Patterson

- Purchasing and Supply Chain Management: Analysis, Strategy, Planning and Practice by Arjan J. Van Weele

- Strategic Supply Chain Management: The Five Core Disciplines for Top Performance by Shoshanah Cohen and Joseph Roussel

- Supply Chain Logistics Management by Donald Bowersox, David Closs and M. Bixby Cooper

- Supply Chain Management, Strategy, Planning and Operation by Sunil Chopra and Peter Meindl

- The Resilient Enterprise: Overcoming Vulnerability for Competitive Advantage  by Yossi Sheffi

http://www.supplychainopz.com/2013/03/supply-chain-management.html

7 Best Books

Essentials of Supply Chain Management (Essentials Series) 4th Edition

by Michael H. Hugos 

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=bvNKDwAAQBAJ

https://www.supplychainopz.com/2020/01/supply-chain-books.html

Ud 1.5.2022

Pub 6.4.2022

Supply Chain Cost Reduction

Supply Chain Costs - Components

https://scmguide.com/supply-chain-costs-definition-drivers-analysis-reduction/

Industrial Engineering of Supply Chains

The cost reduction effort on any system will involve simplification effort. Systems are made complex by functional designers by adding various features. Industrial engineers in their quest for efficiency need to examine the contribution of various complex features to the profit potential of the system and need to simplify where needed.

Simplification Tools and Areas to Which They are Applicable

The product portfolio rationalization  -  Product Portfolio Planning

The product design - Design for Manufacturability

Part and raw material variety reduction - Standardization

Manufacturing processes - Implement  Lean, continuous flow mfg.

WIP inventory -                         Just-in-time

Finished goods inventory -         Build-to-Order

The distribution network -         BTO & ship direct

Order entry -                            Configurators & data links

The vendor base reduction -                     Vendor/Partnerships

Supply chain logistics -              Product line rationalization

Product design for lean production

Standardization


Books

The Supply Chain Cost Management: The Aim & Drive Process for Achieving Extraordinary Results

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: AMACOM (October 31, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0814474756
ISBN-13: 978-0814474754
Topics


• identify critical costs in the supply chain

• measure secondary and tertiary costs

• develop strategic options

• reduce, change, or eliminate activities that produce costs

• implement an action plan

• verify the plan with cost monitors

• continually improve and modify the process

References

Excerpts from the Book: Build-to-Order & Mass Customization, David M. Anderson
http://www.halfcostproducts.com/scm_cost_reduction.htm

The Page http://www.halfcostproducts.com/index.htm is also very useful page to read

Supply Chain Industrial Engineering - Video Presentation

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Supply Chain Engineering - One Year Masters Course - Georgia Institute of Technology - IE School.

They should have titled the course

Supply Chain Industrial Engineering

__________________

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Interesting Web Pages and Blog Posts

7 ways everyone can cut supply chain costs
http://www.supplychainquarterly.com/topics/Strategy/scq201102seven/

How to Reduce Costs through Supply Chain Network Optimization
http://www.industryweek.com/planning-amp-forecasting/how-reduce-costs-through-supply-chain-network-optimization


Original Knol - 460

Updated 2022 - 1.5.2022

2018 - 17 June 2018

  17 June 2016,  4 July 2014, 24 Nov 2011, Earlier published on Knol

Industrial Engineering Knowledge Revision Plan - One Year Plan

January - February - March - April - May - June

July - August - September - October - November - December

Losing The Legacy When It Has Value

 Replace legacy systems may be the war cry or marketing cry.

But remember many legacies have value. Don't throw them.

Zeitgeist - Current Trend of Thought

 

Supervisors must be ready to know the current trends of the day. Industry 4.0 is the current trend of this decade. Today or tomorrow each company will adopt the smart manufacturing concept. Supervisors have to take interest in the news flow relating to the current trend and keep their operators informed of the same. By keeping in touch with current trends, the section will be able to adopt the new manufacturing method when it is introduced in their company. No doubt there will be training programs. But a gradual development of awareness will make the transition more comfortable. 

Today my share in social media regarding IE Online Course is on Industry 4.0

Industrial Engineering 4.0 - IE in the Era of Industry 4.0

Lesson 442  of  Industrial Engineering ONLINE Course - Applied Industrial Engineering Module.

#IndustrialEngineering #Productivity #CostReduction #Automation  

https://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2017/12/industrial-engineering-40-ie-in-era-of.html

Interesting Idea - Study Less in a Smart Way - Learn More

_____________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlU-zDU6aQ0

_____________

I am now watching. The beginning is interesting.

Yin and Yang - Operator and Supervisor

 In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang are the permanently existing entities. Of course, they also represent the two genders male and female.

In work places also there will be operators and supervisors in factory set ups. Factory is place where multiple workers are working to produce outputs. In the factory system, there are managers to plan and direct the workers. Factories are established to use mass production methods and produce goods at lower costs. Lower costs permit selling at lower prices that give bigger demand for products. Today, as we know there are markets covering the entire country or even globe for products of certain companies. Such global markets came into existence because of the economies of mass marketing and production techniques.

Factories require supervisors willing to manage operators and operators willing to be guided by supervisors.

X-Ray The Machines, Persons, and Products - A Supervisor's Task

 

A thorough examination of machines, output and person working under him has to bed one periodically by supervisors. They need to look deep into them. They have to use their senses, additional instruments as well as records kept over a period of time to identify things which need correction.

Supervisors have understand the persons working under them. They need to maintain personal files in cooperation with the HR department and refer to them periodically to refresh their knowledge of special events connected to various operators. When did they go to various training events? What did they learn? Have they practiced them afterwards? The deep careful look at each operator under them is required. A diploma holder is higher level academic person compared to a trade certificate holder. His ability to understand concepts related to a supervisor's job are high.

Work Science and Work Study

 

F.W. Taylor promoted the idea that shop managers have to make efforts and develop science for each element of work that they are managing. The science develops the relations between various characteristics or parameters of the work and the quality and productivity of work.

Even though today we may feel science development is done researchers with PhD qualifications, F.W. Taylor in during the period 1883 to 1915 gave that responsibility of managers. No doubt during that period, science has not yet gone into the hands of PhD degree holders. Development science and many inventions were done by amateur scientists and inventors.

Supervisors have to given knowledge of the available work science. Work Study which is study of work being done at a point in time to improve the element, operation and process is based on the work science and its creative application.

Human Work Science - the work, organisation and society of the future

Published: 11 May 2011

The research group Human Work Science is part of the Division Humans and Technology. Since 1974, we have conducted research and education within human work science in both technical and social science sectors.

Today, Human Work Science employs 25 researchers and teachers, including 8 PhD-students. In addition, one guest professor and four adjunct professors and four PhD-students with external employment are related to the research group.

The research is interdisciplinary, with close cooperation between engineers and sociologists. Many research projects are carried out together with the other research topics in the Division of Humans and Technology or other research groups, both nationally and internationally. Some of the projects are theoretical, while others are more applied. The projects are often need-driven, conducted in collaboration with stakeholders in the society. The research deals with industrial companies, service companies and other organizations and stakeholders in the private, public and voluntary sectors. We currently have projects in the areas of mining, construction, manufacturing, health care and secondary and vocational education. Our research is funded by various governmental research funds, sometimes with partial funding from businesses and other organizations. We also have projects funded by the EU (Horizon 2020).

Postgraduate education is a high priority and so far Human Work Sciences has examined 104 doctors. Our PhD-students typically work in one or more of our research projects and write her/his articles and thesis as part of this.

Our teaching in the master of science program in Industrial Design Engineering deals with production design with a human work science base, i.e. development of technology and organization for sustainable and efficient production systems with good work environment. We also have bachelor and master programs in sociology (with specializations in human work science, HRM and investigation). We also do commissioned programs in several of our areas.

https://www.ltu.se/research/subjects/arbetsvetenskap/Arbetsvetenskap-1.78984?l=en

https://www.ltu.se/research/subjects/arbetsvetenskap/Mer-om-Arbetsvetenskap-1.3561?l=en

https://www.gu.se/en/socav

Forst Work Science and Engineering

Scientific and practical approaches

The department is concerned with research and university teaching in the fields of forestry ergonomics and forestry process engineering. This involves the analysis, evaluation and design of production processes and production systems for the sustainable management and use of forests and landscapes with special consideration of the people involved in the work process. Ergonomics and process technology thus contribute to the successful implementation of land use and forest planning objectives. The overall objective is not only to make the necessary processes and systems resource-efficient, ergonomic and safe at work, but also socially and environmentally compatible.

https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/520577.html

Visual Workplace

 

Visual workplaces is a unique feature of Japanese companies. They keep information related to equipment and processes prominently visible. Even the production plan is made visible and production progress is visible.

__________________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McgDaX7u3Yg

__________________

Training on Visual Management Basics (In Hindi)

5 May 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEV0gvEH5EM

Understanding the Product, Process and People by Supervisors

 

As a part of A to Z of Supervision, we have to once again emphasize that supervisors have to understand the products that they have to produce, the process and the equipment that has to be used and the people in their department.

In the case of the product, they have to know the drawing. The properties of the material to be used and the dimensions and tolerances.

They need to assign jobs to operators to maximize production or productivity. They have to know which jobs are better done by specific operators and assign the available job to maximize output. They have to know the skill levels of persons and their experience and special aptitudes.

Process. Process in industrial engineering refers to the production of a part from raw material. A process consists of operation. A process consists of various operations in the categories of materials processing, inspection of the part after each operation, transportation between machines doing various operations including inspection equipment. Between operations, there can be storage in work-in-process. The process also includes production planning which decides batch quantities, selects the machines and operators for doing various operations, instructs material handling men etc.

The word also refers to basic production processes like turning, milling welding etc. Supervisors have to understand the processes for the products as well as basic processes used. Supervisors have to guide and train the operators in the various operations. So they have to first learn and understand each process that has to be done in their shop.

Introduction to Cost Terms - Review Notes

Cost: Cost is a resource sacrificed or forgone to achieve a specific objective. It is usually measured as the monetary amount (or money) that must be paid to acquire goods and services.

Budgeted cost is provided in the plan. Forecasted cost is an estimate. Actual cost is the cost actually incurred at the time of transaction.

Cost Object: Cost object is anything for which a separate measurement of cost is desired.

Cost System: A cost system accumulates costs and the assigns them to various cost objects.

Cost accumulation is the collection cost using documents like purchase orders, invoices, various expense vouchers, and issue receipts of materials, wage and salary schedules. These documents are entered in journals and ledgers like the financial accounting or book keeping procedure.

Cost assignment is a term that encompasses both (1) tracing accumulated costs to a cost object, and (2) allocating accumulated costs to a cost object.

Direct cost: Directs of a cost object are related to the particular cost object and they can be traced to the cost object through accounting documents as and when they are incurred in an economically feasible way.

Indirect cost: Indirect costs are also related to the cost objects but they cannot be identified with cost objects at the time they are incurred in an economically feasible way. Hence they are accumulated without explicit reference to the cost objects at the time they are incurred and then allocated to various cost objects at a later date to find out the costs of cost objects.

Variable cost: A variable cost with reference to a cost object changes in total in proportion to changes in the level of total activity or volume of output. With reference to an automobile, petrol is an example of variable cost. If one drives more, more petrol is consumed.

Fixed cost: A fixed cost remains unchanged for a given time period despite changes in the level of activity or volume of output. Insurance premium for a car, an annual tax for a car can be given as examples. They are not related to the distance traveled by a car in a period.

Cost driver: Cost driver is a factor, that has a causal relation with a cost over a given time span. In the case of variable costs, activity volume or output volume are cost drivers. that is at the total variable cost level, more output would mean more total cost.

Fixed cost: Fixed cost has no cost driver in the short term. But in the long term it also has cost drivers.

Inventoriable costs: These costs are regarded as an asset when they are incurred and then become cost of goods sold when the product is sold.

Period costs: These costs are treated as expenses of the period in which they are incurred because it is presumed that they do not benefit future periods.

Prime cost and conversion costs are terms used in manufacturing companies. Prime costs are all direct manufacturing costs. Conversion costs are all manufacturing costs other than direct material costs.

Overhead cost: Costs which are not directly related to the production of goods being produced and sold are classified under overhead costs. They are essential for the production and selling process but they are not accounted directly on the job cards or batch cards of the goods being produced and sold.


Refer for More Detailed Explanation
Horngren et al. Cost Accounting, 13th Edition, Pearson Education
Cost Accounting - Horngren et al., Book Information and Review

Originally published at
http://knol.google.com/k/narayana-rao/  cost-terms-and-concepts/   2utb2lsm2k7a/1210

Ud 24.4.2022

Pub 9.12.2011

Role of Costing and Cost Accounting in the Organization

Purposes of Accounting Systems

Accounting is a major means of helping managers of an organization, equity investors of an organization, potential equity investors, creditors and bond holders of an organization, potential creditors and bond holders of an organization, suppliers and customers of an organization and other stake holders to take decisions.

Accounting provides information for three major purposes:

1. External reporting: These reports are used investors, creditors, government authorities, and other outside parties.

2. Routine internal reporting: These reports which are periodically generated are used by managers of the company for their internal decisions.

3. Non-routine internal reporting: This information or reports are generated to support projects and other decisions that come up as the need arises from them.

While the reports are prepared in different formats and basic data is manipulated or summarized in various ways to facilitate decision making, there is one data base maintained by the accounting system that contains data in the form debits and credits to various accounts maintained in the accounting system. Accountants combine these data items in various ways to provide information to internal or external users.

Distinction Between Financial Accounting, Cost Accounting and Management Accounting

Horngren’s distinction between them is interesting.

Management accounting as a discipline focuses on accounting information that facilitates decision making by managers of the organization. If focuses on routine and non-routine accounting reports.

Financial accounting measures and records business transactions and provides financial statements that are based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Executive compensation is tied to profit figures reported in the financial statements and equity share valuation is also based to a large extent on these financial statements.

Cost accounting provides information to facilitate both management accounting and financial accounting. Its focus is measuring and reporting financial and nonfinancial information that is related to the cost of acquiring or consuming resources by an organization.

Cost Management

Cost management is an activity of managers related to planning and control of costs. Managers have to take decisions regarding use of materials, processes, product designs and have to plan costs or expenses to support the operating plan for their department or section. All these activities come under cost management. Information from accounting systems help managers in cost management activities. But the cost accounting system and the reports it generates is not the cost management system. Accounting system can be interpreted as a part of cost management system of an organization.

Cost management is not cost reduction alone. It is much broader. Organization increase advertising expenditure to increase sales, increase research and development expenditures to promote new products. Here the concerned managers are deliberately incurring additional costs in a period (compared to the previous period) as they expect profits from such decisions or expenditures. Cost management system has to ensure that a cost is incurred with the expectation of profit.

The Role of Management Accounting

The role of management accounting is also described as problem solving, score keeping and attention directing.

Problem solving: The role of accounting in problem solving is to provide information useful in evaluating alternatives.

Scorekeeping: Scorekeeping records the results of various actions of the managers and helps in assessing whether the results expected from the various actions are realized or not.

Attention directing: The scorekeeping function in combination with expected results, and comparative analysis of scores of various companies, divisions and departments, comparative analysis of present period scores or results with previous periods show opportunities of focusing attention of managers to improve things.

Value Chain

Value chain is a visualization of complete business as a sequence of activities in which usefulness is added to the products or services produced and sold by an organization. Management accountants provide decision support for managers in each activity of value chain.

Design of Management Accounting System

The design of management accounting system has to take into consideration the decision needs of the managers. Also it has to take into consideration the new themes and challenges that managers face currently.

Horngren identified four such themes in the tenth edition of his book.

1. Customer focus: The challenge for managers it invest sufficient resources to enhance customer satisfaction. But every action of the organization has to result enhanced profitability or maintained profitability for the organization.

2. Key Success Factors: These are non-financial factors which have an effect on the economic viability of the organization.

Cost, quality, time and innovation are important key success factors. Management accounting systems need to have provisions for tracking the performance of the organization and its divisions as well as competitors on these success factors.

3. Continuous improvement: Continuous improvement or kaizen is a popular theme. Innovation related to this area in costing is kaizen costing .

4. Value Chain and Supply Chain Analysis: Value chain as a strategic framework for analysis of competitive advantage was promoted by Michael Porter. Management accountants have to become familiar with the framework and provide information to implement the framework by strategic planners.

The term supply chain describes the flow of goods, services and information from cradle (the mines sources of raw materials) to grave (where discarded products or dumped), regardless of whether those activities occur in the same organization or many organizations.

Key Guidelines for Management Accounting System Design

Cost Benefit Approach: In the system design resource allocation decisions are to be made. Examples would be software to buy and associates to employ. A cost-benefit approach should be used for all such decisions. Resources should be spent only when there is profit to the organization due to that expenditure. Each incremental addition to the accounting system must be supported by incremental profit to the organization.

Behavioral and Technical Considerations: Management has human dimension and it has to focus on how to help individuals to do their jobs better. Managing people involves discussion of managers with his associates on improving performance. The behavioral responses of people to reports highlighting their underperformance have to be understood. Management accounting should lead to cordial relations and climate.

Different Costs for Different Purposes: It is to be noted that there are several cost concepts and cost measures can be created for each of these concepts. Cost accountants have to careful to provide appropriate cost to the managers. The accounting system has to have some precautions to make sure that the accountant understands the decision situation of a manager and provides appropriate cost measures.

Professional Ethics

Like other professionals, accountants also face ethical dilemmas. They need ethical guidelines. Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), USA published guidance note on ethics to be followed by management accountants.

Competence, confidentiality, integrity and objectivity are important themes of the guidance note.

Role of Cost Information - 2019 Illustration

Cost Information for Zero-Based Productivity Management of Supply Chain - McKinsey Way Supply Chain Industrial Engineering

https://nraomtr.blogspot.com/2019/04/zero-based-productivity-management-of.html

McKinsey consultants recommend start by breaking costs into four crucial categories—direct labor (including equipment), indirect labor (including equipment), warehouse and logistics, and materials  (including conversion yields)—and building  a bottom-up view on the existing cost base. The category which may have the highest opportunity  varies by industry and type of manufacturing. In more automated settings or continuous manufacturing, equipment category may have higher opportunity. Direct-labor may be more important in  manual assembly to find savings opportunities.

Establishing granular transparency

Companies have to  seek  granularity into costs. This  visibility of lower and lower level costs, gained by aggregating ledger account data from internal sources and benchmarking data from external sources, enables organizations to establish relevant benchmarks across spending categories. Data is collected from existing recorded data  and is augmented by specially made cost studies using  observations and targeted sampling where data is lacking. The  data has to point out  regulatory and customer special requirements, which act as constraints in the problem. 

References

Horngren, Charles T., George Foster, and Srikant Datar, Cost Accounting: Managerial Emphasis, Tenth Edition, Prentice Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA, 2000

Cost Accounting - Horngren et al., Book Information and Review

Updated on 24.4.2022,  2 May 2019, 8 December 2011

Originally posted on Knol

A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors

 Happy. I joined the A to Z Challenge 2022.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2022/03/a-to-z-challenge-theme-reveal-2022.html

The participant list link is: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hX-UliIIwTJ9xogshgAdttP2JxA1obse3HMZE5x0AU4/edit#gid=1270662565

My theme for this year is: 

Engineering Supervisors - Their Activities, Competencies, Education and Training

The theme support the free online course notes that I provide through my Industrial Engineering Blog.

FREE ONLINE Course in Industrial Engineering from Industrial Engineering Knowledge Center

Productivity Science   -  Product  Productivity Engineering   - Process Productivity Engineering

Productivity Management

I have to do good information collection for this theme, but it is an important theme on which I have to publish based on my earlier involvement in supervisor training programs.

Proposed List of Blog Posts

The list of blog posts will be as follows. Please indicate if you want to suggest any topic.

Dates of April 2022

1. Activities of Engineering Supervisors

2. Behavioral Skills

3. Competencies for Effective and Efficient Supervision

4. Decision Making by Supervisors

5. Effectiveness, Efficiency and Excellence

6. Foresight and Forecasting

7. Goal Setting for Self and Subordinates

8. Human Resource Management by Engineering Supervisors

9. Industrial Engineering by Engineering Supervisors

10. Job Descriptions of Supervisors13. 

11. Knowledge

14. Labor Law

15. Management Principles

16. New Process Learning

18. Organizational Behavior

19. Productivity Engineering - Product and Process

20. Quality Engineering - Product and Process

21. Responsibility

22. Safety

23. Training the Operators - Trust and Team Building

25. Understanding the Product, Process and People

26. Visual Workplace

27. Work Science and Work Study

28. X-Ray The Machines, Persons, and Products

29. Yin and Yang - Operator and Supervisor

30. Zeigeist - Current Trend of Thought

2017 - A to Z Challenge - Top Management Challenge Areas

Support Material

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=CwTrBwAAQBAJ

https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784479377.007

https://designtech.com.sa/engineering-supervision-and-works-reporting/

1965

https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/650567/

https://www.jstor.org/stable/44554194 same as above

Professional Engineering Body of Knowledge

https://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/NSPE_EBOK_one_page_printout.pdf

The Supervision Of Personnel Second Edition

by Pfiffner,John M.

https://archive.org/details/supervisionofper033466mbp/page/n17/mode/2up

Two studies in supervision

Publication date 1953

https://archive.org/details/b30633771/page/n3/mode/2up

Steam-Raising Plant

by Suckan, Charles A.

Publication date 1924

https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.5912/page/n9/mode/2up

The Supervision Of Personnel

by Prentice Hall International, Inc. London

Publication date 1931

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.198112

The Supervision Of Personnel

by Prentice Hall International, Inc. London

Publication date 1931

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.198112

COOPERATION: Principles and Practices 

THE DEPARTMENT OF SUPERVISORS AND DIRECTORS OF INSTRUCTION 

OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 

1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. 1938 

https://archive.org/stream/sim_assoc-for-supervision-curriculum-development-yearbook_1938/sim_assoc-for-supervision-curriculum-development-yearbook_1938_djvu.txt

https://archive.org/details/sim_assoc-for-supervision-curriculum-development-yearbook_1938/page/n7/mode/2up

An interesting A to Z Blog of 2022

https://www.fnc.co.uk/AtoZblogs/

https://www.fnc.co.uk/resources/atoz-blogs-l-is-for-lithium-a-critical-resource/

Training of the Operators by Supervisors

 

Supervisors have the responsibility to train their operators on a day to day basis in various processes and operations. They have to identify elements where the operators are not doing the work appropriately and give instruction to them.

https://www.assignar.com/articles/training-operators-basics-machine-operation-maintenance-safety/

Research Paper: Supervisor support in transfer of training: looking back at past research.

Piyali Ghosh, Ragini Chauhan and Alka Rai.

Piyali Ghosh Ragini Chauhan Alka Rai , (2015),"Supervisor support in transfer of training: looking back at past research", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 47 Issue 4 pp. 201 - 207

Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ICT-11-2014-0071

This study focuses on supervisors as one of the “stakeholders” in a training programme.  Our findings point out that emphasis on the content of a training programme  should be extended to the work environment, especially supervisor support at each stage of a training programme.

Training cannot produce results unless management continuously supports it and is involved in it;  formal ly and informally. HR managers hence need to collaborate and co-operate with supervisors. Trainers should train supervisors about how to support trainees before, during and after training.

The conclusion that supervisor support indirectly impacts training transfer with a mediating role played by trainee characteristics.  HR managers must ensure that supervisors play a catalytic role in harnessing the trainee characteristics by way of enhancing both motivation to learn and motivation to transfer of trainees. Supervisors can help trainees in enhancing their rate of transfer by familiarizing them with the programme, discussing with them how to apply newly learnt skills to jobs, setting goals and providing them with timely feedback. Trainees must also be aware and, in fact, confident of receiving the necessary support from supervisors.

Safety in the Production and Maintenance Shops

Safety needs to be specially taken care of in production and maintenance activities. Material handling and storage are part and parcel of production activities. Even in operator education and learning books, safety aspect is discussed to create awareness as well as give specific instructions to be taken care of handling machines.

Supervisors have to know various safety precautions discussed in the books of trade training, safety precautions indicated by the machine manufacturers and safety rules framed by National Safety Boards. 

Development of a work safety scale.

Authors

Hayes BE

Source

Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R43-OH-03099, 1994 Oct; :1-49

Abstract

The Work Safety Scale (WSS), a questionnaire intended to assess the attitude of employees toward workplace safety, was developed and validated. Five perceptions of safety were examined: job safety, coworker safety, supervisor safety, management safety practices, and satisfaction with the safety program. 

The results indicated that people who indicated their jobs were safer reported experiencing fewer accidents on the job, higher levels of job satisfaction, better health, lower levels of job stress, and reported greater compliance with safety behaviors compared to people who reported having a less safe work environment. 

The best predictors of accident rates were management safety and job safety. The best predictors of compliance with safety behaviors was supervisor safety and coworker safety. The author concludes that the 50 item WSS is a reliable and valid measure of perceptions of workplace safety.

 https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nioshtic-2/00228271.html

Supervisors are the Key

The supervisor is the one person who can take immediate, direct action to make sure that his or her work area is safe and healthful for all employees. Russell DeReamer, author of Modern Safety Practices, considers the supervisor the only person who can control employees, machines, and working conditions on a daily, full-time basis.

717fire

Just count your STARS to be an excellent supervisor!

The "FIVE STARS" Safety Supervision Model

This course introduces you to key elements that help supervisors demonstrate the "5-STARS" of safety supervision. The key 5-STARS of safety supervision and leadership are:

Supervision - overseeing work activities to make sure employees are safe.

Training - conducting safety education and training.

Accountability - insisting everyone complies with company safety policies and rules.

Resources - providing physical resources (tools, equipment, materials, etc.) so employees can work safely.

Support - creating a supportive and psychosocial work environment (schedules, workloads, recognition, etc.) so employee do not work under undue stress.

https://www.oshatrain.org/courses/mods/112e.html

https://ors.od.nih.gov/sr/dohs/HealthAndWellness/Pages/Safety-Responsibilities-for-Supervisors.aspx

Responsibility - Authority Relation in Supervison

 

Supervisors are given resources in the form of equipment, material and personnel to produce planned output according specified processes. Thus they get authority to utilize the resources and they direct the operators and staff under them by allocating them material and equipment. This delegation of authority over resources given to them by their superiors or managers carries with it the responsibility to carry out processes to produce planned output.

According to F.W. Taylor for the success of the task undertaken by any person 50% responsibility is with the frontline person and 50% is the management supporting him. So, in relation to an operator, the success of the task depends up to 50% on the supervisor. In turn the supervisor's task is shared 50 - 50 between and his superior. At every stage every person who receives an instruction to executive a task has to become accountable for doing it. Unless he does the task as instructed, organization will suffer.

Organizational Behavior Knowledge for Supervisors

Oganizational behavior is the subject that deals with behavioral issues in organizations. Supervisors have to be given inputs related to the subject in their academic course. They need further inputs in the organizations to reinforce the concepts they learned and to get more practical inputs from the executives in the organization.

The Chapters on Groups in Textbooks of Luthans and Robbins

Learning Objectives

Luthans


Describe the basic nature of groups; the dynamics of group formation and the various types of groups.

Role of groups in  the practice of management.

Explain the important dynamics of informal groups and organizations.

Present the newly emerging team concept and practice.


Stephen Robbins

1. Define group and distinguish the different types of groups.
2. Identify the five stages of group development
3. Show how role requirements change in different situations.
4. Demonstrate how norms and status exert influence on an individual's behavior.
5. Show how group size affects group performance.
6. Contrast the benefits and disadvantages of cohesive groups.
7. Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of group decision making.
8. Compare the effectiveness of interacting, brainstorming, nominal, and electronic groups.
9. Evaluate evidence for cultural differences in group status and social loafing as well as the effects of diversity in group.

Define group and distinguish the different types of groups.

Robbins

We define a group as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives.

Groups can be either formal or informal.

By a formal group, we mean one defined by the organization's structure, with designated work assignments establishing tasks. In formal groups, behavior of persons is stipulated in some respects by the formal group managers to achieve organization goals.  Formal groups are categorized into command and task groups by Robbins.

People in organizations may come together and form groups to pursue activities they are interested in informally.  Thus interest group may be formed informally among members of organizations. Groups also develop within organizations because individual members have one or more common characteristics. These groups can be called friendship groups.

Luthans

In OB, the concept is applied to the dynamics of members in both formal work groups, informal groups of the organization and teams.

A comprehensive definition of group would say that if a group exists in an organization, its members

1. Are motivated to join.
2. Perceive the group as a unified unit of interacting people.
3. Contribute in various amounts to the group processes (that is, some people contribute more time or energy to the group than do others.)
4. Reach agreements and have disagreements through various forms of interaction.

Team is concept that is being separated from Group.

Team has shared leadership roles.

Team has individual and mutual accountability.

Groups

The group is an important sociological unit of analysis in the subject of organizational behavior.

Types of Groups

Simplest group is a two person group (dyad).

Small groups and primary groups: Small group has the criterion of small size such that there is face-to-face interaction and communication among all members of the group. Primary group is a small group with the additional criteria that there is a comradeship, loyalty, and common sense of values among members. An example of primary group is family. The work group of a person is also a primary group.

All primary groups are small groups. But all small groups are not primary groups.

Coalition: Coalition is a group of interacting individuals and is formed by members for a specific purpose. But it does not have a formal internal structure. Still its members act as a group for the specific purpose for which it is formed.

Membership groups and Reference groups: A person is a member in the membership group. The group in which he wants to be a member is a reference group to him. Many times persons want to display the values of their reference groups.

There are many formally designated work groups, such as committees, in the modern organization. There are functional departmental committees and now cross functional committees.  Team have emerged as the most important type of formal group in today's organization.

23rd May Management Knowledge Revision Plan
Groups and Teams
http://nraomtr.blogspot.com/2011/12/groups-and-teams-review-notes.html

New Process Learning by Engineering Supervisors

 

A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors - Article Series

A process is the sequence of steps or operations in the production of a part or a product. As new parts are designed, new processes come into existence. Processes are communicated through process plans and operation drawings. Supervisors have to learn the new processes. They have to understand new processes conceptually and they have to develop the capability to train their operators in the operations included in the process. The output of the process must have quality and productivity. If new equipment and tools are brought in, supervisors have to learn about them.

Management Principles for Supervision

 

A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors - Article Series

Principles related to directing and control are directly related to supervision. But principles of planning, organizing and resourcing are no less relevant.

Principles of Directing

Related to the Purpose of Directing

Principle of harmony of objectives

    Effective directing depends on the extent to which individual objectives in cooperative activity are harmonized with group objectives.

Principles  Applicable to Process of directing

Principle of unity of command

    The more completely an individual has a reporting relationship to a single superior, the less the problem of conflict in instructions and the greater the feeling of personal responsibility for results.

Principle of direct supervision

    Effective direction requires that management supplement objective methods of supervision with direct personal contact.

Principle of supervisory techniques

    Since people, tasks, and organizational environment vary, techniques of supervision will be most effective if appropriately varied.

Principles of Delegation

Principle of functional delegation

    The more a position or department has clear definitions of results expected, activities to be undertaken, organization authority delegated, and authority and informational relationships with other positions, the more adequately individuals responsible can contribute toward accomplishing enterprise objectives.

Principle of delegation by results expected

    The authority delegated to an individual managers should be adequate to assure his ability to accomplish the results expected of him.

Principle of absoluteness of responsibility

    No superior can escape, through delegation, responsibility for the activities of subordinates, for it is he who delegated authority and assigned duties.

Principle of parity of authority and responsibility

    The authority delegated has to be consistent with the responsibility assigned to a subordinate.

Principles of Control

Related to the purpose of control

Principle of assurance of objective

    The task of control is to assure accomplishment of objectives by detecting potential or actual deviation from plans early enough to permit effective corrective action.

Principle of efficiency of controls

    The more control approaches and techniques detect and illuminate the causes of potential or actual deviations from plans with the minimum of costs or other unsought consequences, the more efficient these controls will be.

Principle of control responsibility

    The primary responsibility for the exercise of control rests in the manager charged with the execution of plans.

Principle of direct control

    The higher the quality of managers and their subordinates, the less will be the need for indirect controls.

(The principle may termed as principle of reduced controls. A superior can spend less time in control activities if he has more higher quality managers and their subordinates in his department.)

Principles related to Structure of control

Principle of reflection of plans

    The more controls are designed to deal with and reflect the specific nature and structure of plans, the more effective they will serve the interests of the enterprises and its managers.

Principle of organizational suitability

The more controls are designed to reflect the place in the organization structure where responsibility for action lies, the more they will facilitate correction of deviation of events from plans.

Principle of individuality of controls

    Controls have to be consistent with the position, operational responsibility, competence, and needs of the individuals who have to interpret the control measures and exercise control. 

Process of control

Principle of standards

    Effective control requires objective, accurate, and suitable controls.

Principle of critical-point control

    Effective control requires attention to those factors critical to appraising performance against an individual plan.

The exception Principle

    The more a manager concentrates his control on exceptions, the more efficient will be the results of this control.

Principle of flexibility of controls

    If controls are to remain effective despite failure or unforeseen changes in plans, flexibility is required in the design of controls.

Principle of action

Principle of Action

    Control is justified only if indicated or experienced deviations from plans are corrected through appropriate planning, organizing, staffing and directing.

References

Harold Koontz and Cyril O’Donnell, Principles of Management: An Analysis of Managerial Functions,  4th Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968

Harold Koontz and Cyril O’Donnell, Principles of Management: An Analysis of Managerial Functions, 2nd  Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 1959

Labor Law for Engineering Supervisors

 

A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors - Article Series

Engineering supervisors are in continuous contact with operators. They have to know the appropriate ways of interacting with operators complying the various rules framed under Factory acts in various countries. Supervisors have to be given additional inputs in factory act rules by the companies and they have to be made more and more well versed with complying to them.

https://iclg.com/practice-areas/employment-and-labour-laws-and-regulations/usa

Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws. These mandates and the regulations that implement them cover many workplace activities for about 150 million workers and 10 million workplaces.

Following is a brief description of many of DOL's principal statutes most commonly applicable to businesses, job seekers, workers, retirees, contractors and grantees. This brief summary is intended to acquaint you with the major labor laws and not to offer a detailed exposition. For authoritative information and references to fuller descriptions on these laws, you should consult the statutes and regulations themselves.

https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/majorlaws

Knowledge - Updates Required to be Done by Supervisors

A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors - Article Series

 

Supervisors are knowledge workers. They need to keep updating their engineering knowledge as well as managerial knowledge.

Currently, production shops are becoming smart. Sensors and actuators are being provided in machines and they are to be controlled through instructions from computer systems. The supervisors have to learn the new knowledge related to smart machines to supervise the shops in the coming days. They have to learn the digital skills to access the information as well as to communicate through digital media.

Knowledge required to improve processes in quality and productivity dimensions.

The foreman's role is  three-fold in process improvement for productivity: 

(1) to be an alert observer, with eyes newly opened to waste; 

(2) to be a cooperative assistant to full- time methods men, after being indoctrinated with the elementary principles of the industrial engineer's techniques of charting and analysis; and 

(3) to develop improved methods of his own. 

The Questioning Attitude. The method of attack is to instill in every supervisor a continuing, hard-headed, insatiably questioning attitude, which examines everything at every possible opportunity. Its fundamental requirement is an open mind  that absorbs new knowledge and methods and that approaches an improvement problem without bias towards status-quo. To be effective, however, the questions need not be haphazard. IE has a pattern or a framework. 

(1) What can we eliminate? This could be a process, a value-adding or a non-value-adding operation, a delay or storage or idle or inspection. To eliminate is to improve! 

(2) What can we combine? The use of known faster devices often provides the answer. If two operations cannot be combined, it may be possible to combine a transportation with an operation. 

(3) Should the sequence be changed? Changes in sequence may eliminate or reduce non-value- adding operations, transportations, delays, storages, and inspections. Again, the use of known faster devices will often make this possible. 

(4) What can we simplify? The time to start to think about ways to simplify operations is when the processes and operations have been reduced (some times they can be increased also) as much as possible through elimination, combination, and/or change of sequence. In this step also the six basic questions of work simplification are used over and over again: What? Why? Where? When'' Who? How? 

https://nraomtr.blogspot.com/2022/04/industrial-engineering-by-engineering.html

6 W's and 1 H Industrial Engineering - Narayana Rao

 

Six W's  What? Why?  When?'  - Which?  Who? Where? 

How? 

What is new? - Which?  This question gives the answer regarding machine. Which machine is going to be used?

How has two dimensions - The Machine Effort details - The Human Effort Details

(C) Narayana Rao K.V.S.S. 2022

12.4.2022, 3.04 am Indian Standard Time.

Online Free Access Handbook of Industrial Engineering - Narayana Rao 

http://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2019/05/knol-handbook-of-industrial-engineering.html

Job Descriptions of Supervisors

 

Construction Supervisor Responsibilities

Experience in the construction industry required.

Experience in a leadership role recommended.

Valid driver’s license.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to focus and keep calm under pressure.

Ability to keep track of multiple projects.

Bachelor’s degree in Construction, Business, Management or Engineering preferable.

Construction Supervisor Requirements

Ensure teams work together to deliver quality work to meet deadlines.

Monitor construction processes and providing training and team building sessions.

Ensure adherence to health and safety regulations at all times.

Perform equipment, material, and routine site inspections.

Schedule regular meetings with vendors, site inspectors, managers, and staff.

Write up reports, budgets, project plans, and presenting them to relevant stakeholders.

Work closely with architects and other professionals.

Stay up to date with safety codes and advancements in construction.

Assist with the recruitment and training of new staff.

Process paperwork and traveling to multiple sites as required.

Experience in the construction industry required.

Experience in a leadership role recommended.

Valid driver’s license.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to focus and keep calm under pressure.

Ability to keep track of multiple projects.

Bachelor’s degree in Construction, Business, Management or Engineering preferable.

https://www.hiringpeople.co.uk/job-descriptions/construction-supervisor-job-description/

Career > Job Description – Production Supervisor, 201702

Production Supervisor

Reporting to: Production Manager

Primary Responsibilities:

Production planning according to sales projections/ Marketing inputs provided by Marketing Department

Man power planning

Managing the resources for the production activities

Production of products as per quality and quantity

Supervising the production activities and ensuring that all activities are carried out as laid down in Standard Operating Procedures

Preparing various Batch, daily and monthly reports

Co-ordinating with purchase and stores for R.M., P.M.,W.I.P. and F.G.; and stock statement

Assisting the Production Manager in all activities

Responsible for preparing specifications, test methods, SOP’s

Qualifications & Skill sets:

Graduate or Post Graduate in Chemistry or Related Field

Minimum 2 – 3 years of relevant industry experience preferred

Good Team player skills

Good communication skills

https://www.diasys.in/career/job-announcements/job-description-production-supervisor-201702/

Production Supervisor

We’re a leader in the pet care industry, which means we’re not only ahead in volume, profit and market share, but our associates dare to Stand Taller. We innovate new products, impart new agilities into existing processes, constantly advance pet nutrition, and always pay it forward in the form of service for our communities and families. Are you up for the dare?

Position Summary

As a Production Supervisor, you are responsible for the coordination of all first line management functions regarding production planning, production output, equipment maintenance, management of people, quality, safety, and sanitation of the processing and departments. In this role you will be required to be a problem solver that drives Continuous Improvement efforts across the plant. This role will be required to be available for all shifts as required for business needs.

Primary Responsibilities

Direct supervision of hourly employees in the processing department

Manage the production schedule to maximize output while minimizing costs including active participation in problem solving to achieve these results

Lead and coach integrated work groups to achieve results based on the factory’s continuous improvement plan

Confers with engineering and maintenance in coordination of repairs and modifications to demonstrate ownership of the assigned areas of the factory

Ensure products are produced in compliance with quality key check points and within “Good Manufacturing Practices”

Provide safe working environment for employees

Basic Requirements

High School Diploma or GED required

2+ years’ experience in a manufacturing, military, or related environment,

1+ years’ supervisory experience in a manufacturing, military, or related environment

Requisition ID: 156857 

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role.  In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities.  Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home.

The Nestlé Companies are an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer seeking diversity in qualified applicants for employment.  All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, perceived disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, as defined by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at accommodations@nestle.com or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

King William, VA, US, 23086

https://jobdetails.nestle.com/job/King-William-VA-23086/771335301/

Foundry Supervisor

DIE CASTING FOUNDRY SUPERVISOR

 

We are one of the industry’s leading ISO 9001 Certified manufacturers of Die Cast Aluminum and Die Cast Zinc products. We provide complete finished castings with extensive secondary operations conforming to the highest standards.

 

RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY OF FOUNDRY SUPERVISOR:

Responsible for supervision of foundry department staff.

Will work directly on the shop floor to ensure that production of products is at the highest quality level.

Responsible for day to day scheduling and setting up of die cast machines.

Delegate, develop, train and coach employees to expedite workload.

Monitoring daily production levels and employee efficiency.

Responsible for continuous improvement of die casting processes.

Schedule work assignment for all team members; provide specific work instructions and distribute job cards to all foundry employees.

Routinely review work order backlog deadlines/requirements and attend daily production meeting.

Work directly with other department supervisors to expedite priority jobs in order to meet customer delivery requirements.

Ability to act as a liaison to the maintenance department to assure machines are operating effective and efficiently.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum five years foundry or equivalent experience.

Minimum five years of hands on supervisory experience.

Working collaboratively as part of a team; must be able to communicate effectively.

Ability to problem solve and multitask.

Must have good understanding of continuous process improvement.

Ability to drive project implementation while working with a diverse group of individuals.

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Very Competitive Wages

Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance

401K

Profit Sharing

Vacation and Sick Time

12 Paid Holidays

Cast Specialties, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to maintaining a diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

Job Type: Full-time

https://castspecialties.com/foundry-supervisor/

Equipment List

Aluminum

(4) 600 ton die cast machines

(1) 550 ton die cast machine

(1) 500 ton die cast machine

Zinc

(2) 600 ton die cast machines

(1) 500 ton die cast machine

(2) 400 ton die cast machines

(1) 350 ton die cast machine

Miscellaneous

(3) Series 2000 Unimate robots

(2) VisiTrak shot monitoring systems

(12) Mechanical and hydraulic presses

(18) Drill presses

Polishing and sanding equipment

(6) Milling machines

(1) Coordinate measuring machine

Multiple drilling and tapping fixtures

Vibratory finishing equipment

Tool Room

Facilities to maintain and store your tool to the highest standard, allowing your parts to always come with the quality you expect.

https://castspecialties.com/equipment-list/

About Cast Specialties, Inc

For nearly 60 years, Cast Specialties has been perfecting the process of manufacturing and delivering the highest quality aluminum and zinc die castings. Our mission is to provide 100% defect free, cost-effective die casting products on time, every time. In addition, we offer complete machining and deburring services, as well as extensive secondary operations to provide our customers with finished parts conforming to the highest standards.

What really sets us apart is the vast experience our engineering teams will bring to your project. We are relentless in the pursuit of superior service, the highest quality control and on-time delivery to our worldwide client base. In addition, our ISO 9000:2015 certification will ensure your finished product will meet or exceed your demanding standards.

https://castspecialties.com/about-us/

Industrial Engineering by Engineering Supervisors

 

A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors - Article Series

Industrial engineering is redesign of products and processes for increasing productivity and reducing costs.

Industrial Engineering is System Efficiency Engineering.  Its main areas are   Machine Effort Industrial Engineering  and Human Effort Industrial Engineering. 

Online Free Access Handbook of Industrial Engineering - Narayana Rao  

Supervisor has to ensure that machines are properly utilized and men are using proper motions and doing the job in less time.

If they do not use proper motion pattern they will take more time. Under work simplification movement

promoted by Mogenson, supervisors got IE training.

Needs to be rewritten completely and improved. It is only draft version.

Health is not good.

WORK SIMPLIFICATION 

Work Simplification is part of industrial engineering whose primary focus is cost reduction through productivity improvement. In more simple terms it is reduction of machine time and operator time to produce a product.

Work Simplification is an organized, commonsense attack upon the way in which work is done now, with a view of doing it better.  Work Simplification "stretches the mind" for foremen and operators by introducing and solidifying the concept of what is useful work. It changes habits of thinking about what must be considered waste work. The heart of any Work Simplification program is the recognition by management of the abilities of foreman/supervisor to contribute to  the company's methods improvement team, and through them tapping the enthusiasm of everyone at the working level to produce and ship a better product, (or perform a better service) at a lower price, at the right time. 

The basic premise of Work Simplification is that once a person really sees how a job is done, asks why it is done that way, and attacks the job with the desire to improve the present method, possibilities for improvement will inevitably occur to him also. In this statement there are three key words: "really sees," "asks why," and "inevitably occur." 

History. The  term "Work Simplification" was coined by Professor Erwin H. Schell of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Allan H. Mogensen, an industrial engineer and a former editor on the staff of Factory,developed the philosophy and put together a procedure that can be implemented by supervisors and other key personnel, and through them brought to the working force. Associated with him in this pioneering work were Lillian Gilbreth, Erwin Schell, David Porter, and Herbert Goodwin. The programs trained both graduates and supervisors. The participants of the Mogensen Work Simplification Conferences have initiated programs in their plants, "bringing the religion of Reducible Waste" to their companies and  supervisors.    

A fundamental premise of Work Simplification is that any work that does not add value to material, does not plan or calculate, does not give or receive essential information, is reducible waste. There are four types of reducible waste: 

(1) Failure to use known faster devices. Mechanization and its ultimate goal, automation, increase productivity by employing faster machines to process materials. Similarly the time reduction of the transportation, the storage and issue activity, and the inspection can also be done using faster equipment.   But there are countless opportunities for the supervisor to apply relatively simple faster devices (without buying new machines); and, once his eyes are opened, the search will be extremely rewarding. 

For instances, he can examine where, in all handling, can slide-grasp bins, gravity feed chutes, pegboards, and the like be used? Where can a holding hand be relieved by a foot treadle or an air chuck? How can time be saved by using something that is helpful on another job? It is by concentrating the supervisor's attention to the elimination of waste wherever it occurs that management can achieve a substantial total of individual "little" savings which only he has time to bring about, since the full-time methods man will be out "catching bigger fish." Especially on short-run jobs, waste will keep on going unnoticed. The way they were set up in the first place to get them done somehow will be the way they will be done until the supervisor takes the initiative to make what improvements he can. (But this is not to say that numerous large-scale savings may not be accomplished. Company Work Simplification programs have been known to result in individual improvements representing first-year savings of $10,000 and more.) 

(2) Inspection to verify for quantity or dimension or a quality characteristic. Every inspection is a costly, constant reminder that sufficient quality has not been built into the product. The inspection, necessary though it may be, adds no value to the product. Can you eliminate separate inspection and still run the process smoothly?  Japanese have done it by asking the user to inspect when using.

(3) Transportation, by any means, any distance, in any situation. This can be moving a tote pan from a storage area to a work area; walking from one work area to another; the body movement of an operator to get his hands in position to work; the movement of a hand to grasp or release or manipulate a tool; the travel of part of a conveyor. Whatever the reason for such transportation, it adds no value to the product. Can the supervisor find a way to eliminate transport action? 

(4) Delay-storage-idle in any situation for any reason. Examples are the momentary hesitation of a hand in an intricate assembly; an idle hand for lack of something to do; a man waiting for a machine to finish a cut; a machine idle while it is being set up; a piece of material waiting in a tote pan for its turn to be worked on; a major assembly in a stores bin waiting to be scheduled for the final assembly operation; a typist idle while carbon paper is being brought from the storeroom. 

The foreman's role is  three-fold: 

(1) to be an alert observer, with eyes newly opened to waste; 

(2) to be a cooperative assistant to full- time methods men, after being indoctrinated with the elementary principles of the industrial engineer's techniques of charting and analysis; and 

(3) to develop improved methods of his own. 

The Questioning Attitude. The method of attack is to instill in every supervisor a continuing, hard-headed, insatiably questioning attitude, which examines everything at every possible opportunity. Its fundamental requirement is an open mind  that absorbs new knowledge and methods and that approaches an improvement problem without bias towards status-quo. To be effective, however, the questions need not be haphazard. IE has a pattern or a framework. 

(1) What can we eliminate? This could be a process, a value-adding or a non-value-adding operation, a delay or storage or idle or inspection. To eliminate is to improve! 

(2) What can we combine? The use of known faster devices often provides the answer. If two operations cannot be combined, it may be possible to combine a transportation with an operation. 

(3) Should the sequence be changed? Changes in sequence may eliminate or reduce non-value- adding operations, transportations, delays, storages, and inspections. Again, the use of known faster devices will often make this possible. 

(4) What can we simplify? The time to start to think about ways to simplify is when the processes and operations have been reduced as much as possible through elimination, combination, and/or change of sequence. In this purposeful channeling the six basic questions of work simplification are used over and over again: What? Why? Where? When'' Who? How? 

The Written Record. 

Work Simplification emphasizes the analysis of work by means of a written record (process chart) made by the supervisor or industrial engineer. The process referes to the production of a component or a finished product. The process consists of operations.  The written record is made by means of simple charting techniques, with each element of work marked with its own symbol. Such charting shows in when material is processed, operation by operation, part by part, to the completed product.  Three types of analysis:  the Process Analysis, the Man-Machine Analysis, and the Operation Analysis. (1) The Process Analysis is the written record in chronological sequence of all the elements of work in the series of operations in a process to change a subject in any of its physical or chemical characteristics or to assemble it or disassemble it from another object. Note that a since a subject is followed; there are never two or more subjects to this analysis. A process analysis could follow a man as well as a part. When the man walks, it is a "transportation" (he is "transporting" himself). The transportation of parts in a process is made with a container or holder of some kind: or the part is of sufficient size or weight or is so delicate that it is moved part by part. In any case there is always a "pick-up" waste operation. before and a "place" waste operation after a transportation. On a part next operation cannot begin and there is  a delay or storage until its container is placed in some particular spot, to wait there until it is needed again. It is a delay or storage until it or its container is picked up. Hence, there are always "places' parts are stored on the shop floor.

Work Simplification's Six Basic Questions 

Key Question Idea Kickers Improvement Possibilities 

What is done? What is its purpose? Eliminate Does it do what it is supposed to do? why is it done? Should it be done at all? Eliminate Can as good a result be obtained without it? Is it an absolute must? 

where is it done? Why is it done there? Combine and/or change 

Why should it be done there? sequence Where should it be done? Can it be done easier by changing the location of person or equipment? when is it done? 

Why is it done then? Is it done in right sequence? Can all or part of it be done at some other time? Combine and/or sequence change who does it? 

Why does this person do it? Is the right person doing it? Is it logical to give it to someone else? Combine and/or sequence change how is it done? Why should it be done this way? Can it be done better with different equipment or different layout? Is there any other way to do it? Simplify waste operation before a delay and a "pick-up" waste operation after a delay. An inspection is almost always made part by part. There is always a "delay" before and a "delay" after an inspection. In many procedures, a value-adding operation is shown on a process analysis by shading in the symbol. This makes the few value-adding operations stand out starkly. There is always a "delay" before and after an operation. Forms are usually provided for convenience in charting. 

 The foreman is asked to put down all information of the process as he sees it. After he improves the process, his new chart usually shows a dramatic reduction in operations, distance moved, and time. When a foreman observes a work situation and records all the elements in chronological order as they occur, he is impressed by the large amount of work that must be done preparatory to, and after, the small amount of work that adds value to the subject, or gives or receives essential information, or plans or calculates. The small amount of value-adding work stands out as tiny islands in a huge sea of waste. Writing about the wastes as separate elements makes them stand apart from the elements of work that get something done. 

(2) The Man-Machine Analysis. 

Work Simplification Definitions and Symbols 

O Operation: An operation occurs when the subject is changed in any of its physical or chemical characteristics, or is assembled with or disassembled from another object, or is arranged or prepared for another operation, transportation, delay or storage, or inspection. An operation occurs when in- formation is given or received, or when planning or calculating is done.

 O Transportation: A transportation occurs when the subject is moved from one place to an- other. 

V Delay-Storage-Idle: A delay occurs when the subject is prevented by any condition from having the next operation performed on it, or the next planned operation does not re- quire immediate performance. A storage occurs when the subject is kept and protected against unauthorized removal. Idle is the delay of a man or a machine; that is, when the subject remains in one place awaiting further action. 

□ Inspection: An inspection occurs when the subject is verified for quality or quantity, or checked in any of its specified physical or chemical characteristics; that is, when the subject is checked or verified, but not changed. it has been determined that an operation in a process must be performed (after we have asked, "Why must it be done at all?") the Man- Machine Analysis comes into play. 

Motion Economy. After all major wastes under prevailing conditions have been eliminated, the supervisor is ready to study the operator in detail. He will want to be sure that the operator is using his hands properly and that all his actions are performed with a minimum of fatigue and waste motion. To achieve this objective, he must apply the principles of motion economy. Work Simplification programs drill the supervisor in the basics of motion economy.  Motion economy is the last technique to employ, since it is obvious that it will be difficult to get a worker to cooperate by changing his habitual way of doing something if he himself sees all sorts of glaring opportunities for making substantial improvements in planning, handling, and flow of work. His attitude will understandably be, "Why pick on me?" Moreover, the supervisor would be red-faced if he went to a lot of trouble to improve an individual operation only to have it eliminated when purposeful thought is applied to the process as a whole! Management Opportunities. Once top management and manufacturing management are themselves convinced of the profit potentials of Work Simplification, their biggest opportunity for implementing the philosophy is through those in direct charge of the work—the foremen, the first-line supervisors. But the inspiration and gospel must be carried to these people. The new (to them) concepts about waste work and useful work, and the techniques of methods improvement must be taught to them. They do not come by themselves. (It should be emphasized that the philosophy, techniques, and applications of Work Simplification are as effective in office work, sales, engineering, or any other activity as they are in manufacturing.) The foreman who has been properly motivated and who has been given the chance to master the techniques will begin to produce money-saving, profit-increasing ideas almost immediately. He will have the means for a two- pronged attack: First, since he is in daily con- tact with the way work is being done, he can apply the purposeful thought and methods of analysis to specific departmental operations, and thus directly and in a very practical way complement the professional methods people whose full-time job it is to make improvements. Second, the foreman who is properly inspired will also carry the spark to the people working for him, and will draw out their suggestions for improvements. Then, if management supports the foremanship program with a system of rewarding rank-and-file employees for suggestions, it will, so to speak, get "compound interest'* on its investment. 

Work Simplification was successfully applied by hundreds of leading companies, such as Dow Chemical Company, Republic Steel Corporation; Sears, Roebuck Company, and Prudential Life Insurance Company, to name but a few, showing its applicable to any type of manufacturing (chemical—sled1 and non-manufacturing (retailing—insurance The potential of Work Simplification is ideated by the fact that companies such as General Electric now send a task force with its ctc movable office to a production area and include the general foreman and first-line foremen in the staff assigned to improve production methods and operations in that area. The full potential has been reached in several companies, but notably so in the Lincoln Electric Company, Cleveland, Ohio, where all personnel are methods-conscious and have achieved such economy of production that an average bonus of $5,000 approximately has been paid to each of 1,300 employees for a number of years, through such feats as reducing the direct hours of labor to product a ton of 3/16 welding rod from 75 hours to 2.2 hours, or 97%. 

W. Clements Zinck Information Reference Almost every company with a successful Work Simplification is willing and eager to share its experience and program with others. 

"Work Simplification," by Robert N. Lehrer, (Prentice-Hall, 1957), covers the field in a general manner and describes several business and government programs. 

"Dynamic Work Simplification," by W. Clements Zinck, Reinhold, New York, 1962, covers the appli- cation of Work Simplification to the foreman on his production job and indicates how top management can develop the necessary climate for a successful program. 

Case histories of Work Simplification and articles on phases of it appear frequently in magazines such as Supervision, Mill and Factory, and Factory. 

References: Gilbreth Principles of Motion Economy; Method Improvement; Motion Study; Operation Analysis; Process Analysis; Suggestion Systems. 

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