Details

30 mins, 2001

How does a factory work? This describes how Leisure Consumer Products makes its cookers. Production at LCP starts with the design for the product, in which appearance and healthy eating are the key considerations.

Manufacturing begins with batch production as sheet metal is formed into batches of key components. In the assembly section, flow production begins as single products are made on a continuous basis.

Recently the company has undergone a revolution – they’ve gone over to lean manufacture. This means cutting out waste at every level. Just in time techniques are designed to match production to demand by supplying goods to order and parts only when they’re needed. This cuts down stocks of raw material and reduces bottlenecks.

The factory’s workers are now organised into a number of self-managing teams. They’re expected to be multi-skilled and able to do each other’s jobs.

Management believe that such changes are leading to the end of “them and us” attitudes in the factory. But people on the shop floor disagree and speak candidly of their grievances.