Short Course at University of Valladolid RECONFIGURABLE MANUFACTURING – Product, Process, & Business Integration Summer 2004 Instructor: Zbigniew J. Pasek, Ph. D., University of Michigan Course Rationale and Objectives: Globalization creates both an opportunity and a challenge formanufacturing companies. For established companies the opportunity is to sell products in any place on the globe, and enhance the sales with the a id of the Internet. The challenge is to succeed in a turbulent business environment, in which competitors have similar opportunities. Globalization and the Internet originate another type of opportunity – to form start-up companies fordurable goods that are utilizing the Internet to enhance their sales (entrepreneurship). Since the core ofsuch start-ups is the innovative product, this course emphasizes creativity in designing products and touches on preparing simple business plans. There is a third possibility that unifies the two previous opportunities – to form a new subsidiary (or a division) inside a large corporati on to produce a new product within the company’s lin e of products. The challenge is similar to that in forming a start-up, but it is easier in the finance aspect –– if the product is appealing, the corporation will invest the resources. This course aims at analyzing the technical and business dimensions of different manufacturing paradigms, and emphasizing the integration between engineering and business : • Developing innovative products having the variety to satisfy customers’ tastes and preferences in different regional segments • Developing a new type ofreconfigurable manufacturing systems that have a production capacity adaptable to market demand • Developing responsive business models that take advantage of market opportunities and enhance customer relationships. Course Topics 1. Manufacturin g Paradigms Mass production, lean production, mass customization and personalized productio. Models and principles of these paradigms. 2. Product Design in Global Environment Creativity in product design. Design for Mass-C ustomization. Modular architecture in product design. 3. Manufacturing Systems Dedicated, flexible, and reconfigurable systems and machines. Analysis of system configurations. 4. Business Issues Agile, reconfigurable enterprises. Responsive business models. Workforce empowerment. Finance models. Preparation of simple business plans. Materials 1. Coursepack 2. Class slides 3. Occasional reading 1
