D31PS Project Management Exam
Question 1
Over the last few years, the manufacturing industry has been found to be representing efficient performance in the competitive market. In addition to this, the manufacturing companies in the UK have been found to improve their production processes with the incorporation of new techniques (Newman et al., 2020). As emerged from studies, from the initial stage of craft production, followed by mass production as the intermediate strategy, the process of the manufacturing sector developed to a lean production system. Concerning the first production process of craft production, efficient and skilled employees who were known as craftsmen used to carry out the design of the product either with the help of a group of individually (Hayes, 2018). In later years, with the concept provided by Henry Ford, the lean manufacturing system was incorporated which potentially assisted the manufacturing sector in increasing the productivity level thereby reducing the wastes produced from the production processes.
Concerning the manufacturing industry, the principles of lean production have significantly increased the success rate of the companies thereby enabling them in meeting the demand of the market customers (Palange and Dhatrak, 2021). Moreover, with the reliability of the process proved over time, it has significantly helped the manufacturing industry in managing production processes with zero wastes. In this case, it can be stated that the manufacturing industry has been found to be open to technological innovations which has potentially influenced the positive performance of the sector in the market. Concerning the principles of lean manufacturing such as “realizing the value of the market customers, identification of the value-added activities, generating the flow of production, implementation of the pull system and sustaining the improvements of the market”, the manufacturing companies like Toyota have been found to be positively affected (Alefari et al., 2020). The use of improved techniques has exceptionally benefited the companies with higher returns from the market as well as higher position.
On the other hand, it has been found that lean thinking or the production process has significantly influenced the construction industry. In this case, it has arisen from studies that practitioners in the construction industry have been less receptive to the technological innovations reflecting a conservative mindset (Buer et al., 2018). On the contrary, it has been observed that the need for technological innovation has been essential for the industry due to increased pressure on the workforce and low rates of productivity. Moreover, the need for a lean production process has been essential as the wastes produced by the construction industry are found to be high compared to any other industries in the market. In this case, it can be further mentioned that with the help of lean manufacturing processes, the reduction of wastes or efficient management of wastes by the construction industry can be done thereby improving the efficiency of the concerned industry.
Furthermore, with the help of lean manufacturing methods, the construction company can not only reduce the wastes produced, but also reduce the costs required for the production and also increase the production level thereby improving the efficiency of the employees (Singh et al., 2018). Thus, it can be thus stated that with the positive influence of lean thinking, technological advancements can be observed within the construction industry as well as proper management of waste and production can also be noticed.
Question 2
Supply chain refers to the network of resources, organization, technology and activities that are related for production and sale of a product in the market to the end customers (Nunes et al., 2020). In recent times, it has been evident from market analysis that the demand of customers has been increasing thereby creating pressure on the organizations for the delivery of the products. In this situation, the concept of supply chain collaboration has been found to be trending whereby organisations establish coordination between the internal departments of the company and the external market partners (Duong and Chong, 2020). The companies have been found to be engaged in this collaboration as this has assisted the organisations in sustaining the market where demand is comparatively higher than any other market. Moreover, supply chain collaboration has been essential as it helped the companies in meeting the customer demands efficiently thereby making timely delivery as well.
In this area of discussion, it has been evident from the studies that collaboration within the supply chain has potentially benefited industries in a greater sense including the construction industry. Moreover, with the assistance of lean thinking, the collaboration of supply chains has been effective in the construction industry thereby benefiting the industry with effective delivery of the product to the customers in the market. For instance, it has been found that the construction industry has been capable of lowering the long-term costs thereby reducing the costs (Ullah et al., 2019). Furthermore, studies revealed that it has efficiently improved the production process thereby improving the quality of the product and safety of the same for the end customers. This, in turn, implies that there has been a positive impact of supply chain collaboration over the construction industry which potentially improved the overall process of production.
Upon further look into the benefits of supply chain collaboration concerning the construction sector, it can be stated that the issues of “multiple supplier-client relationships” can be effectively mitigated with the help of collaboration thereby improving the effectiveness of the process (Wahbe, 2021). In addition to this, it can also be stated that the “multi-stakeholder”collaboration essentially improves the ethical standards maintained by the companies thereby increasing the efficiency rate. Moreover, it can be stated that when two construction companies work together with a shared vision, it becomes easier for the companies to meet the objective within a short span of time. Additionally, it can also be mentioned that with the help of the collaboration, the production units of the companies also increases (Shin et al., 2019). This potentially assists the companies in meeting the increased demand of the customers thereby improving their strategic position in the market.
Concerning the above discussion, it can therefore be stated that it is of utmost significance for the construction companies to incorporate a collaboration concerning their supply chain network so that benefits concerning the production process can be gained along with the benefits of cost reduction. However, “supply chain collaboration” along with the lean thinking can exceptionally assist the companies in improving their delivery system as well as the overall network of the supply chain processes.
Reference List
Alefari, M., Almanei, M. and Salonitis, K., 2020. Lean manufacturing, leadership and employees: the case of UAE SME manufacturing companies. Production & Manufacturing Research, 8(1), pp.222-243.
Buer, S.V., Strandhagen, J.O. and Chan, F.T., 2018. The link between Industry 4.0 and lean manufacturing: mapping current research and establishing a research agenda. International journal of production research, 56(8), pp.2924-2940.
Duong, L.N.K. and Chong, J., 2020. Supply chain collaboration in the presence of disruptions: a literature review. International Journal of Production Research, 58(11), pp.3488-3507.
Hayes, N., 2018. Heritage, craft, and identity: twisthands and their machinery in what’s left of the British lace industry. Labour History Review, 83(2), pp.147-177.
Newman, C., Edwards, D., Martek, I., Lai, J., Thwala, W.D. and Rillie, I., 2020. Industry 4.0 deployment in the construction industry: a bibliometric literature review and UK-based case study. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment.
Nunes, L.J.R., Causer, T.P. and Ciolkosz, D., 2020. Biomass for energy: A review on supply chain management models. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 120, p.109658.
Palange, A. and Dhatrak, P., 2021. Lean manufacturing a vital tool to enhance productivity in manufacturing. Materials Today: Proceedings, 46, pp.729-736.
Shin, N., Park, S.H. and Park, S., 2019. Partnership-based supply chain collaboration: Impact on commitment, innovation, and firm performance. Sustainability, 11(2), p.449.
Singh, S., Dixit, S., Sahai, S., Sao, A., Kalonia, Y. and Kumar, R.S., 2018. Key benefits of adopting lean manufacturing principles in Indian construction industry. In MATEC Web of Conferences (Vol. 172, p. 05002). EDP Sciences.
Wahbe, G., 2021. The Transformation of Supplier-Client Relationship: Real Stories About Tire Business Solutions. In Innovative and Agile Contracting for Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0 (pp. 326-344). IGI Global.
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