Abstract

This thesis sets out to identify and discuss five of the subjects that were found to have a significant bearing on the attempts of a small engineering company to improve efficiency. The subjects detailed are production control, layout, costing, decision making and cost reduction. The bulk of the observations were made during a two year period spent as a Teaching Company Associate with a company (T.J. Filters PLC.) first evaluating and then implementing the opportunities offered by factory relocation. A new manufacturing facility was designed and built with a reduction in floor space of 31%. In the first two years of full production, output has doubled while Work In Progress has reduced by 63% and stock holding by 25%. The factory layout plan was successfully developed by the use of a modified and manual version of the well known, and normally computer aided, algorithm CORELAP. This simplified manual technique was found to be well suited to the smaller company with limited time, layout experience and computing capability. The thesis concludes with a list of potential sources of cost reduction most of which were successfully introduced in the new manufacturing facility.

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

1987

Embargo Period

1987-08-01

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