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The Plant Manager’s Manifesto
WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES CHANGE, especially in a system of production, so difficult? Why do manufacturing managers, first-line supervisors, and operators (among others) tend to be reluctant to make change, even when it has become apparent that extensive problems exist in the current system of production? I believe there are two factors that serve to make significant change in manufacturing a very difficult task to accomplish. First are the mental barriers that employees typically place on such an initiative. They sometimes have an extremely difficult time allowing themselves to become “flexible workers.” This is because the old system (batch production) does not typically call for flexibility, but rather for ...
