Comments on: Examples of Job Shop to Flow Shop Conversions

By: Christoph Roser

Christoph Roser — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 05:21:05 +0000

Hi Jason, economically a job shop may sometimes make more sense than a flow shop, especially for very high mix and very low volume, where the products differ not only a little bit but substantially. But i firmly believe that the majority of production would benefit from a flow shop.

By: Jason Klemm

Jason Klemm — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 20:44:12 +0000

Hi Christoph,
I really enjoyed your article about switching from a job shop to a flow shop. I think a flow shop setup has many benefits that can help a company succeed, even if, as you mentioned, it is not always economically viable. I also thought it was great that you provided many examples of flow shop setups across various industries. This really showed that flow shops can benefit almost anyone in any industry if they set it up correctly. Even with products requiring lots of customization, an adequate flow shop can still be set up (as you showed in the diagram “flow shop with exceptions”). In your experience, have you seen any industries where you think a job shop would be better 100% of the time?

By: Christoph Roser

Christoph Roser — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 07:16:11 +0000

Hi Steve, like many things that are sensible there are probably quite a few instances where it was invented independently. The assembly lines at Ford (and many others before) probably also had a target speed, which could be called a Takt. Toyota supposedly learned it from Germany (via Mitsubishi), but they also tried to learn a lot from Ford. I would be surprised if they would not have noticed something like this at Ford. maybe Junkers gave it a more structured approach. What I think Toyota did differently is to base it on the customer demand and do a strict calculation (not sure if Junkers did this). From the takt via the OEE you can set the target cycle time. Good comment!

By: Steve Milner

Steve Milner — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 15:21:08 +0000

I am always intruiged at the use of the word ‘takt’, followed by a long-winded explanation that it’s a German word meaning rhythm, pulse, heartbeat etc. (hardly lean!!). In English, it’s ‘tact’, a musical term defined as ‘the stroke in keeping time’. And, as a musical term. I guess it’s probably originally Italian. Similarly we have French words relating to cookery, Japanese for lean stuff, Eskimo for snow….
Sometimes people use ‘TAKT’ which looks like an acronym, and I have no explanation for that, although I was once told that TACT was an abbreviation of Total Available Cycle Time.
What does puzzle me is that smooth-running assembly lines need a healthy respect for standards, and yet the notion of applying this rhythm is attributed to the Germans in the 1930’s. Surely Ford – and others – must have had some standard cycle time before then?

By: Tarik

Tarik — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 05:25:11 +0000

Thank you for a great article Christoph. I am a big fan of a flow shop (line or cell), but it is so hart to convince peaple to rearange a layout and whole production concept. It is always the same: We are making so specific product in a specific business model, it is for us imposible to have a line.
My qustion: If the cost-benefit analyse says that ROI of chancing the layout is big (3-5) years (big machnes and instalations), is it a case for establishing a flow line at all, or should we leave it as a job shop?

By: Ashok

Ashok — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 10:47:50 +0000

Hello Christoph. I have personally seen and supported a plastic injection mold making job shop to become more aware of how product layout can be transitioned to quasi-process layout and use pertinent lean practices (most widely used was Visual management and track parts processed per period (depending on the types of parts planned for the day) to ensure daily goal was achieved based on daily takt time calculation... Takt was calculated based on the mix of parts to be available for final assembly of injection molded dies. Keep up the good work and share the knowledge creating an atmosphere to keep learning constantly (with ko stoppages).

By: Lucas Fuelling

Lucas Fuelling — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 05:49:18 +0000

Hi Christoph,

I found the answer!

For everyone: https://www.allaboutlean.com/job-shop-to-flow-shop-2/

I will try my best!

By: Lucas Fuelling

Lucas Fuelling — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 05:33:18 +0000

Hi Christoph,
how would you turn a custom metal work job shop into a flow shop? I understand it would something be with flow shop with exceptions because of the annealing oven step.

Suppose every customer orders his custom metal shape (small order) and it requires a custom flow. That means I would have to set up multiple or very many flow lines for each product for each customer unless the flow for a product is somewhat identical to another product.
Then a lot of lines would be empty if certain products were not made.

Lets say the (small) company has fewer products and has read the allaboutlean.com blog and wants to create a flow line. If one line requires the multiple use of a very expensive machine then it would need to buy multiple expensive machines in order to create flow.
The owner would probably stick to buy one machine for pressing, one machine for cutting, etc. and use each machine multiple times, … hence: job shop.

Any practical ideas for that shop? ehem… it is my job-shop, but I am sure a lot of small factory owners stand in front of this problem.