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.

3. Automate an ICD

Write software to automate a repetitive task:
Guide robots or other manufacturing processes

No.	Industry SIC	Year	Notes
1	1200	1990	Consolidation Coal last year mined 55 million tons of coal with 9,500 employees. Fifteen years earlier it took 23,000 workers to mine 55 million tons. A big part of the change was installing 22 longwall robot machines.
2	1499	1987	Shalev developed a robot that can measure the shape & value of virtually all raw gems except diamonds. It maps a cutting strategy & carves. It is more exact than most humans; it reduces the amt. of stone wasted by up to 10% & cuts costs by 70%.
3	2241	2005	Alabama Footwear has spent more than $4.5 million on equipment upgrades over the past five years. The upgrade includes 130 Italian-made machines that automatically turn spools of yarn into knitted socks. After installing these machines, the company gradually decreased its force from 105 to 76 workers.
4	2389	1996	In Benetton's "Big Charlie" distribution center a staff of around 20 oversees 60-foot robots that move 30,000 boxes in and out for shipment daily.
5	3523	1990	Shimizu Corp. produces its own robots to spray steel structures, to position ceiling panels in buildings, to plaster floors, and to lay concrete segments in tunnels.
6	3523	1990	Deere decided to kick robots off its spray-paint line, but now uses them to torque a series of 20 identical cap screws on tractor transmissions–a boring job with a high degree of human error.
7	3523	1990	Komatsu has developed a robot that installs panels of up to 1100 pounds in the exterior walls of buildings, boosting labor productivity sixfold.
8	3562	2003	Central to Asheboro's flexibility is a growing library of digital 3-D models of components. These allow technicians-Timken calls them shop-floor associates- to pull up the digital designs for an existing product, tweak them, and get the computer numerical control instructions into the networked machine tools. It all takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the modifications, vs. half a day the old way.
9	3625	1986	Allen-Bradley has a $15 million automated assembly line that requires only 4 people, cuts costs 60% below those of traditional manufacturing methods, and can switch among 400 distinct products without stopping or adjustment.
10	3651	1990	Matsushita invented wire-winding robots to produce VCRs. They do work five times faster and much more reliably than housewives who did work formerly.
11	3663	1994	Motorola's orders come in from salesmen, and the data are digitized and flow to the assembly line. "Pick-and-place" robots select the right parts, then humans assemble the pagers. Often the order is complete within 80 minutes, and customers can often receive pagers that same day.
12	3711	1987	GM stuffed two of its plants with flexible automation that permits switching production from, say, 70% coupes and 30% sedans to a 50-50 mix with a simple change in computer programming.
13	3711	1990	Nissan's new auto plants can produce hundreds of different variations on a given car model simply by reprogramming robots that paint auto bodies and install car seats, engines, batteries, windshields, tires, and doors.
14	3711	2005	Hyundai, whose shabby cars made it the laughingstock just a few years ago, wants to move into the front ranks of carmakers. Hyundai's new factory in Alabama is highly automated, with 250 robots converting stamped steel into welded vehicle bodies. In the paint shop, vehicles do ten somersaults through dip tanks to ensure each coat is applied without trapping air that can cause imperfections. All that automation helps keep down labor costs and ensures quality.
15	3714	1988	At Eaton's plant, computerized measuring machines and conveyor belts are cutting labor costs. Gears that were formerly handled 13 times by lift trucks and 35 times by humans will by next year be moved only 3 times by lift trucks and 6 times by workers.
16	3861	1992	In 1988, Fuji installed computer-integrated lines where setup, parts selection, and assembly are all automated using bar codes that tell the machines what to do. Before this, Fuji filled orders in 3 days. Now it needs 24 hours, using 1/3 as many workers and almost 1/3 less inventory–making 3 times more variety.
17	4513	1997	Helping Airborne express guarantee next day deliveries are 17 in-line tilt tray belt conveyors driven by motorized pulleys.
18	5411	1998	Waremart's bakery is so automated that any employee can step in and turn out muffins and cakes.
19	8062	2006	Veterans' Hospitals are now national leaders in efficiency and quality because of a large dose of technology. The system bargained hard with drug companies and other medical suppliers, wringing out hundreds of millions in annual costs. The VA's $1 billion-a-year pharmacy was overhauled to be more efficient. A single list of approved medications was created. To free up pharmacists and to reduce errors, each hospital pharmacy installed systems to automatically refill prescriptions.

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