Flexible workforce

Both support elimination of the events that introduce variability into the supply chain. Supporting these two pillars are two complementary concepts. One is the flexible workforce. Worker flexibility enables varying the number of workers with the workload and thereby operating with fewer workers. The other concept is creative thinking that encourages workers ideas for improving operations. Both support the flexibility needed to overcome variation. 

Capacity planning— This refers to the use of flexible production lines that can make multiple products and flexible workforce. For example, Toyota makes sure that their plants are flexible enough to supply multiple markets. This reduces idle capacity. HP uses a portfolio approach to workforce planning by maintaining a combination of full time, part time, and temporary workers. 

What are some obstacles to creating a flexible workforce What are the benefits ... 

E-Business Limitations The e-MPF market is currently only a small fraction of the total MPF market. Many employers simply follow standard plans chosen by their company as default options, and do not use the flexible e-MPF mode. Despite the high Internet penetration rate in HK, there remains a large portion of the workforce that doesn t use computers at all or doesn t use sophisticated online services like the e-MPF. And even among the Intemet-sawy professionals, e-MPF adoption has been relatively slow (Bhatnagar, Mistra Rao, 2000). 

The success of JIT, as weU as kanban, is contingent on meeting several prerequisites (1) smoothing of volume and variety (2) development of a flexible, multiskilled workforce and (3) implementation of continuous improvement and autonomation. These prerequisites are discussed in the sections below. In addition, achievement of high quality levels is also essential to implement JIT. For this purpose, JIT and TQM efforts should be closely linked with each other, as will be discussed later. 

Group members learn from one another Possibility of greater workforce flexibility with cross-training... 

Faculty members who were performing research in the sciences during the summer need assistants and, without the cadre of free labor available when classes were in session, found that student employment provided the necessary workforce. Funding available from the Research Corporation provided this flexibility. No longer limited by the time constraints of coursework, students become more intimately involved in actual experimentation. They learned the techniques and mastered observation with critical evaluation of results. By the end of the summer, these summer employees were well versed in experimental details and filled with the excitement of potential new discoveries. With Ae advent of the new academic year, faculty curtailed their research in order to prepare for classes, but their students, enthusiastic with experience from their summer research engagements, came into the... 

ABSTRACT Analysis the mine ascension undertake force, determine the mechanical characteristics of the safety undertake. Developed a concentration workforce, limited force safety protection mechanism for mine lifting undertake by using 2 force stem mechanical characteristics. The mechanism has simple structure, flexible motion, high reliabiUty, adapt to the mine environment, provided guarantee for mine safety, efficient work. 

Training allows the workforce to be flexible and respond to changing needs as workers acqtrire new knowledge and skills which they can put into practice. Workers are also better equipped to adapt to inevitable dilemmas by using skills gained from case studies and exercises performed dtrring training sessions. 

Research Center and Ames Research Center. These events illustrate a particular strength, not only of the differing cultures at the centers but of the NASA civil service workforce with all of the flexibility it provides its members to independently pursue matters they believe critical to the agency. Recent changes within NASA appear to greatly diminish this flexibility of action. That these independent investigations did not proceed further or were not heeded by the SPO was surely unfortunate. Elements of this problem of barriers to the information diffusion process are discussed in the present volume in chapters 13 and 15, where techniques to encourage this process to enhance successful problem resolution are outlined. 

Employee morale and teamwork should improve, increasing job satisfaction > Attitudes to safety should improve, supporting the safety culture > Management time spent dealing with non-compliance issues and investigating accidents/incidents will be reduced > The workforce will be more flexible and responsive to safety initiatives. 

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