Improving upstream information exchange protocols using value-adding techniques

在任何制造业务中都有许多机会来提高效率，无论是在主要业务中，还是在设计和采购等各种所需的支助活动中。这项工作要调查的挑战包括：(1)绘制当前设计和采购流程和信息流的地图；(2)分析现有软件工具和软件互操作性的有效性；(3)分析部门之间的沟通和信息交流；(4)找出遗漏信息或错误的任何原因，并提出减少这些原因的解决方案；(5)建立设计和采购部门的能力，以支持生产线上所做的任何改进。行业合作伙伴正在寻求改善支持运营的绩效，以便能够在行业合作伙伴的制造和管理方面实现平衡改进。为了改进这些前端操作，提出了一个分四个步骤的方法，将在六个月内与行业合作伙伴合作进行：(1)分析支持操作和流程的当前状态的效率，包括定义底层操作、调查信息交换的当前状态、建立流程图，并收集与流程图相关的分析数据；(2)制定一个提高效率的框架，包括建立一个系统模型来解决当前系统中的不足；(3)测试和改进提议的框架，包括在实施的早期阶段协助行业合作伙伴；以及(4)确定进一步的可能改进和未来研究。这项研究将通过调查如何减少建筑制造中的过程浪费，使行业合作伙伴和建筑制造业更广泛地受益于当前实践中通常确定和关注的领域。

There are many opportunities in any manufacturing operation to improve efficiency, both in the main operationand in the various required support activities such as design and procurement. The challenges to be investigatedin this work include (1) mapping the current design and procurement process and flow of information; (2)analyzing the effectiveness of existing software tools and software interoperability; (3) analyzingcommunication and information exchange between departments; (4) identifying any causes of missinginformation or errors and proposing solutions to mitigate them; and (5) creating the capacity in the design andprocurement departments to support any improvements made on the production line. The industry partner isseeking to improve the performance of supporting operation such that balanced improvement can be achievedon the manufacturing and administrative aspects of the industry partner. In order to improve these front-endoperations, a four-step methodology is proposed that will be carried out over six months in collaboration withthe industry partner: (1) analyze the efficiency of the current state of supporting operations and processes,including defining underlying operations, investigating the current state of information exchange, buildingprocess mapping, and collecting analyzing data related to the process maps; (2) develop a framework forefficiency improvement, including building a systematic model that addresses shortcomings in the currentsystem; (3) test and improve the proposed framework, including aiding the industry partner in the early stagesof implementation; and (4) define further possible improvements and future research. This research will benefitthe industry partner and the construction manufacturing industry more generally by investigating how to reduceprocess waste in construction manufacturing beyond what is normally identified and focused on in currentpractice.