Analyses of Production System development in manufacturing

industries in Japan & the USA

Khrystyna
Matsopa &
Viktoriia
Shvydenko

Research questions, aim &

objectives
There are many modern production techniques which allow
the companies in manufacturing industry to become more
competitive in the market. Hence, the research questions of this
paper are:
What are the current production system practices carried out
in manufacturing companies in Japan and the USA?
How can the production system be improved in chosen counties
using best world practices?
The main aim of this thesis is to bring alertness of Kaikaku
radical change among the American manufacturing industry and
also to make some opportunity for them to develop their industry.
This main objective of this thesis is to understand and
analyze the production system development process in
manufacturing industries and suggest how it is effective to keep an
organization competitive.

Theories to use
Theory of production means knowledge of what is permanent and
normal in industrial production.
Descriptive theory contains knowledge about past or present production
but does not much help for modifying it to correspond better to latest
requirements.
Normative theory of production contains generally applicable knowledge
and tools that can be used in the management of production, especially for
optimizing existing production and planning new production

Production system model of Kaikaku According to Shibata (2001), the

Kaikaku is a system improvement where a new working method is
introduced. According to Yamamoto (2010), the production system level is
analyzed in macro level with the help of this Kaikaku model. The Figure
represents the four types of production system model of Kaikaku

The Table shows the difference

between the internal and
external factors of the
production system

Incremental innovative kaikaku occurs when a newly formed production

system as an outcome of kaikaku is novel to the plant or to the company.
This type of innovative can be useful in the industry sectors like
international manufacturing industries, automobile industries, home electric
appliances and mobile telephones.
Radically innovative kaikaku occurs when a newly formed production
system is not only new to the plant or to the company but also new to the
industry. In this type of kaikaku, novel technological solutions, work
methods, production flows and work organization are invented and used in
the company.

Empirical study design

Identify
Link to system model
the
change
force

Develop
process
vision

Kaikaku:
System model

Identificat
ion of
process

Designin
g and
prototyp
e the
new
process

Understan
ding the
exciting
process

Methods to collect empirical information

The qualitative method served the purpose well since the objective of the
thesis is to analyze the current production system process of manufacturing
industries and to identify the problems in the production system
development. The analysis is done between Japanese and American
manufacturing industries by conducting the interview.

Units of study

Case company Jeep

This company has more awareness about the concept of process
innovation and it is inspired by the Japanese Research on Kaikaku.
The various processes is identified in the production system for
radical change by:
- Pre-study is done on each process, the measurement of the process
is carried out by modeling the current process and it is simulated
through simulation software and it is finally analyzed to identify the
process.
- A strategy process is also used to identify the process.
The information technology plays an active role in process
innovation. It consist lot of tools which is used for simulation and
modeling. It also plays a role for visualizing and analyzing the
changes.
The top management is ready for continuous change and they
change formal structure and responds to change over time.

Case company Honda

The important goal of the company in process innovation in
production system is to have a constant look out for tools and
techniques which radically enhances the companys objective. The
company has less awareness about the process innovation for radical
change is no compromise in quality, safety of the process carried out
during implanting process innovation. The company prefers time being
solution in production development because they wants to meet the
customer's need as soon as possible before the competitors does it.
The organization conduct special classes to workers and some
methods are taken by the organization to overcome and reduce these
panics among workers by giving apperceptions, awards, smileys, gift
voucher and promotions.
The top management takes necessary steps for implementing a
new technology for radical change and they always prefer the better
innovation techniques with frugal mindset with respect to cost
effectiveness.

Methodics description

Based on the conceptual structure and relevant theoretical

understandings, the interview questions are framed and case
companies are analyzed for the process improvements and process
innovation performance in the production system. The empirical
data is collected from case companies through interviews.
The interview questions were initially framed according to the
type of person to be interviewed. The managers in the production
system of manufacturing industries are chosen to be interviewed.
The different types of questions are formulated like open
questions, multiple choice questions, probing questions etc. The
answers delivered from the respondents are hand written and some
answers are going to be responded through mail.

Contents
Acknowledgements
Abstract
1 Introduction
2 Literature review
3 Interview
3.1 Preparing the questioners
3.2 Selection of participants
3.3 Data analysis
4 Theoretical framework
4.1 Methodology for Kaikaku
4.2. Analysis of Jeep production system
4.3 Analysis of Honda production system
5 Understanding and improving existing
processes
5.1 Current process activities
5.2 Implementation of world best practices
6 Empirical results
6.1 Case 1 Jeep
6.2 Case 2 Honda
7 Conclusion
Table contents
Figure contents
References
Appendix

An outline of
the proposed
chapters for
the report

References
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