SOM Coursework: Portfolio On Production Line Balancing Case Study

Strategies for Sustainable Washing Machine Manufacturing

1. Minerva Ltd. manufactures Washing Machines

a) Precedence diagram for this production line

Figure 1: Precedence diagram

The above picture demonstrates a precedence diagram. In that, it depicts that activity A does not possess a predecessor while activity B relies on activity A. Additionally, it depends on C and D, while F relies on A. G relies on F, H relies on G, I rely on both E and H, and J relies on I. Overall, the project finish time is 15 minutes.

b) Assign tasks to workstations and idle time in each cycle

To reduce idle time, there is a need to appropriately assign the task. The assignment of the task is provided below

Workstation 1:

• For activity A, timing activity F
• That is (1+3) mins= 4 min Workstation 2:
• For activity B timing, activity C timing
• That is (3+2) mins= 5 min

Workstation 3:

• For activity D, timing activity E timing
• That is (4+1) mins= 5 min

Workstation 4:

• For activity G timing activity H timing
• That is (2+5) mins= 7 min

Workstation 5:

• For activity I timing activity J timing
• That is (1+3) mins= 4 min
• IDLE TIME= (7-27) = 20 min

c) Improving balance to 100%

In order to improve the balance by 100 percent, there is a need to reassign the task to counterbalance the workload. There is also a need to include parallel processing.

d) Theoretical minimum number of workstations

The theoretical minimum workstation number is demonstrated by N.

• N= total sum of the time by cycle time
• = 3.6

e) Use of Process Design in Service organisation

The process design utilisation in service organisations incorporated the procedure of designing to achieve client satisfaction. This includes different types of V, such as variety, variation, volume and visibility in demand.

2. Contemporary issues and challenges in the washing machine manufacturing industry

In the washing machine manufacturing industry, significant and efficient sustainable operation management is paramount for eliminating all the risks to the supply chain, proper resource utilization and environmental influence while helping it to gain long-term sustainability and profitability (Loon, Van Wassenhove and Mihelic, 2021). The challenges and issues that are experienced by the sector can be noticed in both global and local aspects.

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Fluctuating demand of customers and market

A significant issue that is experienced by this corporation is customer and market demand transformation as people are seeking eco-conscious products.

International supply chain upheaval

This sector of experience is a significant challenge in the context of supply chain management internationally, as this industry heavily relies on washing machine manufacturing components and raw materials (Rakhmawati et al., 2020).

Regulatory changes

With the increasing client demand for eco-conscious and sustainable products, environmental regulations are also changing respectively (Lagercrantz Zachrisson and Marusik, 2023). That can create issues in managing the capacity of the washing machine manufacturing industry.

3. Operations contribute to making the washing machine industry more sustainable

The increasing demand for washing machine manufacturing also raises concern about its manufacturing process's influence on the environment. To eliminate this concern, the manufacturing industry focused on extending its sustainability to further environmental concerns to confine the economic and social landscape.

Circular business model adaptation

The circular economy has gained popularity in the current area from both policymakers and corporations. It helps to minimise the use of material and helps to redesign products and materials to minimise resource intensity (Bressanelli, Perona and Saccani, 2018). It also helps to recycle the waste as a manufacturing product resource for manufacturing new products and materials.

Managing the product life cycle

The corporation also includes significant product life cycle management approaches that have a high contribution to maintaining sustainability within supply chain management. This was incorporated with redesigning the service and product to enhance its longevity and ensure the waste recycling process (Ç?nar et al., 2020). The reverse logistics implementation helps to recycle the product waste while extending its lifespan.

4. A society's role in becoming carbon neutral by 2036

Carbon neutrality is demonstrated by posing an equilibrium between absorbing carbon and emitting carbon from the environment in carbon sinks. Storing carbon dioxide by removing it from the environment is defined as carbon sequestration. The carbon imbalance is another cause of climate change (Smith, Penn and Gatersleben, 2022). Climate change is significantly influencing the whole world, with severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, heat waves, floods and droughts becoming frequent, including in European countries. To minimise the global warming temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius, “the intergovernmental panel for climate change” offers a carbon neutrality society development by the 21st century. Too meet this objective, 195 nations signed the Paris Agreement, including the European Union. In 2019, the European Commission presented a ‘European Green Deal' with a flagship plan that focused on making the European climate-neutral by the year 2050 (Europarl, 2019). The UK society is also focused on eliminating and cutting emissions by the year 2035. To meet this goal, the UK government developed a law that demonstrated cutting carbon emissions by 78% by the year 2035 (GOV.UK, 2021). Society also takes a crucial step to adopt renewable energy resources, including shifting their focus from fossil fuel utilisation to clean and renewable energy alternatives.

5. The significant carbon reduction commitment to reduce carbon after Carbon Literacy training

To maintain carbon neutrality within the environment to maintain its sustainability, carbon literacy training can help motivate multiple important commitments to minimise the carbon footprint. The main focus behind this commitment is to make a high contribution toward green environment development and provide a sustainable future (Timmis et al., 2019). After taking the training, it has been found that multiple steps need to be incorporated. Those are as follows.

Energy consumption

The primary promise would need to revolve around minimising energy consumption and focusing on renewable energy alternatives.

Recycling process adaptation

The training also highlights the significance of the recycling process for waste minimisation that leads towards maintaining a green environment.

Use sustainable transportation

In order to eliminate carbon emissions, there is a need to use sustainable transportation such as e-vehicles or public transport rather than private transport (Chapple et al., 2019). That can help to lead one step forward toward maintaining sustainability in the environmental aspect.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Minerva Ltd.’s efforts to optimize production lines, balance workstations, and reduce carbon emissions play a crucial role in fostering sustainability within the washing machine manufacturing industry. By adopting circular business models, managing product life cycles, and committing to carbon reduction, the company contributes significantly to global environmental goals. As industries and societies aim for carbon neutrality by 2036, embracing renewable energy, recycling, and sustainable practices becomes increasingly vital. The washing machine manufacturing sector, through thoughtful process design and sustainability strategies, can achieve long-term profitability while making a positive impact on the environment.

References

• Bressanelli, G., Perona, M. and Saccani, N. (2018). Reshaping the Washing Machine Industry through Circular Economy and Product-Service System Business Models. Procedia CIRP, 64, pp.43–48. Doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2017.03.065.
• Chapple, W., Molthan-Hill, P., Welton, R. and Hewitt, M. (2019). Lights Off, Spot On: Carbon Literacy Training Crossing Boundaries in the Television Industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 162(4), pp.813–834. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04363-w.
• Ç?nar, Z.M., Abdussalam Nuhu, A., Zeeshan, Q., Korhan, O., Asmael, M. and Safaei, B. (2020). Machine Learning in Predictive Maintenance towards Sustainable Smart Manufacturing in Industry 4.0. Sustainability, 12(19), p.8211. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198211.
• Europarl (2019). What is carbon neutrality, and how can it be achieved by 2050? | News | European Parliament. [online] www.europarl.europa.eu. Available at: https://europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20190926STO62270/what-is-carbon-neutrality-and-how-can-it-be-achieved-by-2050 [Accessed 23 Dec. 2023].
• GOV.UK (2021). UK Enshrines New Target in Law to Slash Emissions by 78% by 2035. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enshrines-new-target-in-law-to-slash-emissions-by-78-by-2035.
• Lagercrantz Zachrisson, A. and Marusik, P. (2023). Design principles for Product-Service System: Using a washing machine as an example. [online] www.diva-portal.org. Available at: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:1790238 [Accessed 23 Dec. 2023].
• Loon, P., Van Wassenhove, L.N. and Mihelic, A. (2021). Designing a circular business strategy: 7 years of evolution at a large washing machine manufacturer. Business Strategy and the Environment. Doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2933.
• Rakhmawati, T., Sumaedi, S., Astrini, N.J., Bakti, I.G.M.Y., Yarmen, M. and Damayanti, S. (2020). The important level of washing machine quality dimensions in 4.0 industrial era based on the perception of a laundry business: A preliminary investigation. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 722, p.012048. doi:https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/722/1/012048.
• Smith, S., Penn, A. and Gatersleben, B. (2022). Towards an understanding of advocacy coalitions for rapid transition to net zero carbon in the United Kingdom. [online] Available at: https://openresearch.surrey.ac.uk/view/pdfCoverPage?instCode=44SUR_INST&filePid=13170910910002346&download=true [Accessed 23 Dec. 2023].
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