ABSTRACT
This chapter presents two systemic improvement projects (kaikaku) at "GG-Plant": a project to develop new profitable products that fit into the necessary time-to-market and a project to install new equipment to fit the established time-to-start manufacturing of the new equipment. The initial level of the planned Overall Equipment Effectiveness of the "SAE" was 83%; the "SAE" capacity requirement for each shift was achieved for all six product types manufactured with it, including the new "EAS" product. Targeting of annual Manufacturing Cost Improvement targets for new products and new equipment is performed to increase the number of products manufactured and sold. "GG-Plant" has introduced a series of other systemic structural change projects: operative maintenance, preventive maintenance, quality maintenance, quality assurance, education and training, and redesigning the cost and budgeting system. In the context, unit manufacturing costs are higher than they could be for both the new product and the other products in that range and beyond.
