🚀 go-pugleaf

> Date:          Wed, 13 Aug 1997 13:06:17 -0400
> From:          "Francis S. (Frank) Patrick" <fpatrick@eclipse.net>

The two elements from Frank's post that I dare to comment on are:

> Perhaps, an executive might decide to cut costs in this
> non-value-adding area, by limiting the maintenance budget.  Yet,
> the entire throughput depends on the job of driving the truck.
> All the value of the sale depends on this one job, at some time.
> Clearly, the value-adding/non-value-adding distinction is silly.
((snipp))
>Thus, the notion that such subsystems do
>not add value is erroneous.  Functions are either necessary or they
>are not necessary.  Nevertheless, the question remains.  How do we
>measure such a subsystem?

==========================
I agree that the value-adding/non-value-adding distinction can be
silly.  Sometimes we must tell lies to find the truth.  As ol'
William James said: Something is true as long as it is profitable to
believe it.  Thus value added/ not added can be "truthful" in
certain contexts - but this is not one of them.  Doc. Taguchi avoids
the value added/not added quagmire by thinking in terms of cost to
society - for things done, and things not done.  There is a cost
conntected for doing and not-doing.

Everything exist for a reason.  Nothing exists in a vacuum.
Everything does something, and the something is measurable - at
least in some crude way.  The case of receiving is the basic
"input---> processing ---> out put" model. The processing
consists of documenting the receipt and completion of PO, for
example, and the delivery to the next location.  One logical measure
would be hours per piece processed. Another would be pieces
processed per hour.  Another would be timely closing of PO's.

Thinking in Taguchi terms, a society is a group of folks organized to
produce an output.  The factory is a society.  So is the receiving
dept.  Assess the cost to the engineering-dept-as-a-society when
receiving throughput is 5 working days; 3 working days; 3h.

All of this is readily chartable and open to the most basic quality
analysis.  Maybe an IE should go out and set a standard for engineers
finding packages.   Now there is a cost that might be trimmable.

If management can't think in terms of what one of their departments
is supposed to be doing, the cost of management to their society
might be appropriate to ponder.


<< All opinions, statements, &c are my own>>
L.H. Garlinghouse, C.Q.E.
Pocahontas AR U.S.A.
(870) 892-4586  ext 7659
garlinghou@waterlooindustries.com