Reduce Unique ICDs by Redesigning the Product or the Process

The objective of this activity is to reduce the number of ICDs by reducing the occurrence of an ICD in producing a unit of Output, or by reducing the number of separate ICDs used in the Output. A unique ICD is one of the key activities in the work center's contribution to the final product (O). It is separate and distinct from any other activity in the work center. For example, the fastening of a part onto a subassembly and a quality control check of the subassembly would be unique ICDs.

B. Redesign the process of producing the ICD or Output

Change the process used to produce the ICD or Output to eliminate activities.

4. Reduce movement of an Input (People, Purchases or Capital)

Reduce movement of ICDs:
Do more steps at one location

No.	Industry SIC	Year	Notes
1	1521	2007	As housing costs rise, some developers are using modular housing to assemble affordable communities. The move is driven by the cost of labor and the need to build houses quickly. Developers may receive federal affordable-housing tax credits that they pass on to investors in exchange for financing.
2	1531	1997	Centex will ship in Cavco homes built in a factory, and then install them on permanent foundations on the lots. The result: a 15% to 20% cost saving for buyers.
3	3149	2004	After several years of slowdown, sales of shoes in the U.S. market are beginning to rebound. The industry is aided by the cost of supplies and labor. Leather and hide prices have remained flat and manufacturers look to cheap labor in China for 81% of the 1.97 billion pairs of imported shoes. To keep inventory moving, manufacturers are turning to technology to speed the process. Some companies are moving product development to Asia so designs can be created, produced and refined without costly and lengthy shipping.
4	3498	1996	Shaw prefabricates much of its piping systems at its own plants, rather than building them on the construction site. This is a vital edge when shaping and treating pipes several feet in diameter, especially when bad weather at the site.
5	3531	1990	In Caterpillar's old plants, bins of parts used to spend weeks waiting their turn in heat-treatment furnaces. Heat treatment took place in a different building, and parts had to move back and forth. Now heat treatment is in same building as all other operations for parts.
6	3711	1988	Renault aims towards modular assembly, where sections of car arrive finished ready to be assembled on much shorter production lines.

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