Headline after headline, we are seeing a wide array of manufacturers embark on major pivots away from their daily offerings to produce an array of products out of necessity. Ventilators, masks, gowns, shields. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to creep along, the list of products continues to grow. The pivots these organizations are embarking upon are not easy. They require strengths that do not always see the spotlight including a skilled workforce, diverse supply chain, a culture that thrives when facing adversity and strategic investments in technology, writes IndustryWeek (April 23, 2020).
As one Rockwell Automation exec explains: “This type of shift is possible only when operations have been designed and set up for agility. It is dependent on tools and processes for supply chain planning, availability of materials and people, product lifecycle management, product specifications management, plant configuration flexibility, the flexibility of the manufacturing and equipment, quality control regimens, and tracking and tracing components the product is made up of.” With any new product comes new processes, a heightened importance for these processes to be closely followed, and the need to quickly adapt and scale best practices.
Here are 3 examples of successful pivots: At Naturepedic, expert sewers, together with 3D printing technology, allowed the firm to quickly pivot and produce face masks from organic cotton fabric that was used in the manufacturing of organic mattresses. Abundant 3D printers allowed CMD to pivot from plastic bag production to make the parts for face shields. Previous product development in healthcare gave Vecna Technologies a strong foundation in product development, rapid prototyping, and responsiveness to healthcare needs to quickly produce a ventilator.
Classroom discussion questions:
- How has the pandemic altered the product development stages in Figure 5.3 of your Heizer/Render/Munson text?
- How is 3D printing becoming an important OM tool?