Assignment Problem: According to newzoo, India is the world's 2nd largest market for smartphone users. In 2020, New Delhi announced a $6.6 billion incentive plan to attract the top smartphone manufacturers to setup production plants within India, as part of a larger 5-year federal domestic growth plan. Apple has approved it's top 3 sub-contract manufacturing partners to go ahead and apply for the incentive being offered in India since standards related to workplace safety, quality, and culture have met Apple's strict requirements during a previous 3-year pilot project in Chennai India.
One of Apple's top manufacturing partners, Foxconn, has recruited your team of operations & process design experts/consultants to review their existing production capabilities and performance, and establish a manufacturing plan (proposal) that will include a site (location) selection in India, and a factory layout (floor plan) that will meet the expected production quota and standards in India. This proposal is a required element to be submitted to New Delhi's Ministry of Elect
Site Location & Floor Plan
Site Location:
Choose and propose a site location in India that makes sense! Do some research and consider the following things before selecting a site:
- Proximity to supply chain and customers (local/global)
- Transport/logistics/shipping to end customer (retailers, distributors)
- Transport/logistics for your incoming/input materials needed for stock and production
- Utility requirements (is hydro/water/wastewater accessible, unrestricted, and not cost prohibitive)
- Local labour availability (skills, employment vs. unemployment rates, wages, salary, benefits within the area or region). This impacts product cost!
- Do you need railway access, waterway access (ocean freight), or highway/freeway access for shipping/receiving at nearest airport(s)
- Use Google Maps to superimpose and show the proposed location of your factory
Floor Plan:
Based on your analysis for the above, visual floor plan ("blueprint") for your factory/assembly line. Consider using Visio, MS Word, Excel, PPT, or AutoCAD if you have the skills.
The floor plan should make accommodations and considerations for the following important elements that have been discussed and demonstrated in QUAL8310 classes:
- Safe and unhindered movement of people and materials can be sustained with minimal effort and dependency on administrative controls. Remember the hierarchy of control!
- Work stations should be clearly identified (labelled) in such a way that reflects the outcome and decisions from your precedence and workstation analyses. Don't forget the quality control and test stations!
- Identify and clarify (labels or symbol/legend) the difference between people, equipment, aisles, storage locations, and infrastructure (i.e. forklifts, carts, conveyors, bins, walls, columns, light fixtures etc.)
- An understanding of material and product flow between activities and departments (areas) must be evident
- Include some rough accommodations for the "supporting" resources of the factory and anything else you can think of such as offices, meeting rooms, cafeteria, break rooms, manager offices, and your office!