Layouts

Facility layouts come in three basic flavors. Unplanned Layouts. Some facilities are not arranged by any master plan. As new machines are needed, they are placed where they will fit. It is fairly uncommon for this method to be used throughout an organization, but many will have a few machines Read more…

Investments in People

Investments trade current resources for future gains. The most common forms of investment include: Financial holdings designed to provide a return on investment (ROI) in the form of appreciation, dividends, or interest. Physical holdings intended to appreciate or generate income, such as real estate Physical items used to create other Read more…

Hawthorne Effect

The Hawthorne Effect originated from experiments at the Hawthorne Works, owned by Western Electric, in Cicero, Illinois in the first half of the 1900’s. While there were a variety of experiments, the most commonly referenced study was about illumination. Researchers conducted a series of experiments to identify the optimal lighting Read more…

Last-In, First-Out

In accounting, last-in, first-out (LIFO) is a method of recording inventory. It is used to manage earnings in inflationary times. A last-in, first-out inventory system records the most recent price of materials as the cost, thereby making earnings reflect current prices. As a result, the older items, purchased earlier when Read more…

Autonomy

Autonomy is the state of being competent and empowered to make decisions on one’s own. Self-directed or self-managed work teams are examples of autonomous groups. In the most effective application of these sorts of teams, workers own the process, rather than having supervisors or leads giving direction. This responsibility may Read more…