Quick Changeover – It videotapes and studies all the operations to find where reductions can be

taken. This leads to flexible manufacturing system adaptable to changes in customer demand.

Pull/Kanban systems- Manual pull devices, which allow the efficient transfer of parts from one
department to another and automatically puts a purchase order for products using
maximum/minimum inventory levels. It acts as a signal to manager for replenishment of materials.

Workplace Organization 5S system –Poor working conditions lead to waste and defects. The 5S
system improves and standardizes the workplace for safe and effective manufacturing practices.

Value Stream Analysis – Mapping the complete production path visually to understand the
production flow. It helps in identifying wastes and its causes.

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) – Preventive, corrective maintenance helps in eliminating

accidents, defects and breakdowns. It requires the involvement of everyone in the team for the
optimization of equipment.

Cellular Manufacturing – Produce maximum products with minimum wastage and transport delay.
Equipment and workstations are arranged in such a sequence so as to support the flow of materials.
Some elements of FPS
Environmental Management – All Ford plants are required to be ISO 14001 certified. They are also
required to set the standards above what is required in areas like training and awareness programs,
chemical use and minimization and integration of quality and environmental systems.

Safety and Health Assessment Review Process (SHARP) – A means to employ most advanced safety
standards at its plants. Evaluations is done by a specially appointed committee for this purpose. The
committee reviews documentation, interviews personnel at the shop floor, and reviews physical
conditions. The audit report is submitted to top company officials and union officials. The plants are
required to report every month on the progress in implementation of the SHARP suggested
improvements.

Synchronous Material Flow (SMF) and In-Station Process Control (ISPC) – SMF is a system that
produces a continuous flow of material and products driven by a fixed, sequenced and levelled
vehicle schedule, utilizing flexibility and lean manufacturing concepts.

In SMF, vehicles move across the plant in an orderly fashion. ILVS (InLine Vehicle Sequencing) (An
element of SMF) ensures using software that vehicles move in the proper order. This allows Ford to
place orders for required components with their suppliers just before the actual time of
requirement. This reduces the wastage and the space required by Ford to store the components.
ILVS also ensures that vehicle bodies match right components and reach the operator exactly at right
time and place.

Through ISPC, it is ensured by operators that there are no quality defects.

The plant has less than 2 hours of line-side parts inventory and less than 10 hrs of off-line
component inventory.