ABSTRACT
A m ajor challenge facing organizations is how to im prove productivity and quality without having to m ake a m ajor capital investm ent o r increase the num ber o f people required to perform a given task. In recent years, several “back to basics” techniques, such as the just-in-tim e (JIT), continuous flow m anufacturing (CFM ), stockless production, and process analysis tech nique (PAT), have received significant attention in literature and in som e cases in actual im plementation. The JIT concept has received m ore attention in Japan than anywhere else in the world. Schonberger (1982) details nine hidden lessons to be learn from the Japanese approach. S ignificant attention has also be focused on the application o f robotic devices, computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM ), com puter-aided m anu facturing, group technology, and other form s o f techniques, such as process autom ation that elim inates defects. This chapter presents the factors affecting em ployee job perform ance and productivity and a discus sion o f key productivity and quality im provem ent techniques. Em phasis is placed on the production and service im provem ent technique (PASIT).
