Achieving a long-term acceptable level of manufacturing profitability through productivity requires the total commitment of management teams and all staff in any manufacturing company and beyond. Awareness and continuous improvement of manufacturing costs behind losses and waste is the core goal of the Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD). Achieving this goal will continually uncover the hidden reserves of profitability through a harmonious transformation of the manufacturing flow, coordinated by the continuous need to improve manufacturing costs. Setting annual targets and means for manufacturing costs improvement (more exactly for costs of losses and waste, and the exact fulfillment of these) requires mobilization of all people in the company to carry out systematic improvement activities (kaizen) and systemic improvement actions (kaikaku) of the processes of each product family cost. The MCPD system was born out of careful observation of the challenges, principles, and phenomena of manufacturing companies and the profound discussions with the people in these companies at all levels. Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) Transformation: Uncovering Hidden Reserves of Profitability is organized in three sections. The first section presents the concept and the need for an MCPD system from a managerial perspective. In the second section, the transformation of manufacturing companies through the MCPD system is presented, more precisely the details of the initial steps of the implementation of the MCPD, the three phases and the seven steps of the MCPD, and the elements necessary for a constant and consistent application of the MCPD. In the last section, there are two examples of the MCPD implementation in two different types of industries, namely, manufacturing and assembly industry and process industry, and two case studies for the improvement of manufacturing costs for each (cost of equipment setup loss, using kaizenshiro; replacement of bottleneck equipment and associated costs of losses, using kaikaku; cost of quality losses with improving operators’ skills to sustain quality, using kaizen; and cost problem solving with the consumption of lubricants for one of the equipment, using A3).

Achieving a long-term acceptable level of manufacturing profitability through productivity requires the total commitment of management teams and all staff in any manufacturing company and beyond. Awareness and continuous improvement of manufacturing costs behind losses and waste is the core goal of the Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD). Achieving this goal will continually uncover the hidden reserves of profitability through a harmonious transformation of the manufacturing flow, coordinated by the continuous need to improve manufacturing costs. Setting annual targets and means for manufacturing costs improvement (more exactly for costs of losses and waste, and the exact fulfillment of these) requires mobilization of all people in the company to carry out systematic improvement activities (kaizen) and systemic improvement actions (kaikaku) of the processes of each product family cost. The MCPD system was born out of careful observation of the challenges, principles, and phenomena of manufacturing companies and the profound discussions with the people in these companies at all levels. Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) Transformation: Uncovering Hidden Reserves of Profitability is organized in three sections. The first section presents the concept and the need for an MCPD system from a managerial perspective. In the second section, the transformation of manufacturing companies through the MCPD system is presented, more precisely the details of the initial steps of the implementation of the MCPD, the three phases and the seven steps of the MCPD, and the elements necessary for a constant and consistent application of the MCPD. In the last section, there are two examples of the MCPD implementation in two different types of industries, namely, manufacturing and assembly industry and process industry, and two case studies for the improvement of manufacturing costs for each (cost of equipment setup loss, using kaizenshiro; replacement of bottleneck equipment and associated costs of losses, using kaikaku; cost of quality losses with improving operators’ skills to sustain quality, using kaizen; and cost problem solving with the consumption of lubricants for one of the equipment, using A3).

This book shows how to consistently obtain annual and multiannual manufacturing target profit regardless of the evolution of sales volumes, increasing or decreasing, using the Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) system. Managers and practitioners within the manufacturing companies will discover a practical approach within the MCPD system that will help them develop and support their long-term, medium-term, and short-term profitability and productivity strategy. The book presents both the basic concepts of MCPD and the key elements of transforming manufacturing companies through MCPD system, as well as supporting the consistent growth of external and internal profit by directing all systematic and systemic improvements based on meeting the annual and multiannual Manufacturing Cost Improvement (MCI) targets and means for each Product-Family Cost (PFC). This book is unique because it presents two types of systematic and systemic improvement projects for MCI that have been applied over the years in various multinational manufacturing companies operating in highly competitive markets, in order to address the consistent reduction of unit manufacturing costs by improving the Cost of Losses and Waste (CLW). Readers will discover the practical approach of MCI based on a structured approach to MCPD system beyond the traditional approach to manufacturing improvements based mainly on improved time and quality. Therefore, from the perspective of the MCPD system, the multiannual manufacturing target profits are met while the annual and multiannual manufacturing target costs are a predetermined stake and not a result of the improvements already made.

This book shows how to consistently obtain annual and multiannual manufacturing target profit regardless of the evolution of sales volumes, increasing or decreasing, using the Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) system. Managers and practitioners within the manufacturing companies will discover a practical approach within the MCPD system that will help them develop and support their long-term, medium-term, and short-term profitability and productivity strategy. The book presents both the basic concepts of MCPD and the key elements of transforming manufacturing companies through MCPD system, as well as supporting the consistent growth of external and internal profit by directing all systematic and systemic improvements based on meeting the annual and multiannual Manufacturing Cost Improvement (MCI) targets and means for each Product-Family Cost (PFC). This book is unique because it presents two types of systematic and systemic improvement projects for MCI that have been applied over the years in various multinational manufacturing companies operating in highly competitive markets, in order to address the consistent reduction of unit manufacturing costs by improving the Cost of Losses and Waste (CLW). Readers will discover the practical approach of MCI based on a structured approach to MCPD system beyond the traditional approach to manufacturing improvements based mainly on improved time and quality. Therefore, from the perspective of the MCPD system, the multiannual manufacturing target profits are met while the annual and multiannual manufacturing target costs are a predetermined stake and not a result of the improvements already made.

Providing a reasonable level of profitability through productivity is - and will remain - one of the fundamental tasks of the management teams of any production company. Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) and Methods Design Concept (MDC): The Path to Competitiveness contains two new methodologies to improving the productivity and profitability of production systems that continuously increase competitiveness: Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment (MCPD) and Methods Design Concept (MDC). Both MCPD and MDC are the result of long-time synthesis and distillation, being implemented successfully, totally or partially, in many companies. The MCPD system, developed by Alin Posteucă, is a manufacturing cost policy aimed at continuous cost improvement through a systemic and systematic approach. The MCPD is a methodology that improves the production flow driven by the need for Manufacturing Cost Improvement (MCI) for both existing and future products through setting targets and means to continuously improve production process productivity for each product family cost. The MDC, developed by Shigeyasu Sakamoto, design the effective manufacturing methods using a tool of engineering steps identifying ideas for increasing productivity called KAIZENSHIRO (improvable value as a target). The MDC results on production methods lead to effectiveness of work measurement for performance (P) and to knowledge and improvement of production control and planning as utilization (U), in order to achieve labor target costs. The combination of MCPD and MDC methodologies can provide a unique approach for the managers who are seeking new ways for increasing productivity and profitability to increase the competitive level of their manufacturing company.

Profitable production planning is and will remain an eternal challenge to ensuring the prosperity and dignity of companies in a global market. Even though there are different approaches to achieving the target profitability through productivity in the production planning stage, these approaches do not guarantee consistent planning, creation, and sustenance of synchronous profitable operations for multiannual and annual target profit. In feedback to this predicament, Alin Posteucă develops a new system called speed-based target profit (SBTP). SBTP is the profitable production management and manufacturing improvement system that approaches production planning to achieve unit speed of target profit for target products through manufacturing cost improvement and bottleneck profitability control for maximum takt time. Managers and practitioners within manufacturing companies will discover a practical approach for cost down and cash up by applying a powerful operational profitable production planning formula to meet profitability expectations through productivity based on strong leadership with the help of a specific system for feedforward, concurrent, and feedback control. Therefore, the SBTP system in this book presents a holistic approach to profitability for target products and the development of its own mechanism since the acceptance of each order from customers to achieve continuous synchronization of all manufacturing processes to market requirements, profitability management, and profitable production planning. The uniqueness of the book is reinforced by a detailed presentation of the successful application of the SBTP system in two case studies, as a way of life and a unit speed of target profit improvement ethos at all hierarchical levels, in two multinational manufacturing companies operating in highly competitive markets in order to address the synchronous profitable operations for both the sales increase scenario and the sales decrease scenario. By adopting the SBTP system, your company will be able to consistently achieve unit speed of target profit in the bottleneck process for fulfilling annual and multiannual target profit as a unique and effective way through a new profitable production planning paradigm that operates according to its own production system.

Currently, the challenge for manufacturing organizations is how to achieve their expected profit by continuously improving productivity or reducing costs. Manufacturing organizations have been using different improvement approaches to achieving cost reduction and productivity improvement for years by eliminating various losses and waste structures, such as excess inventory, excessive workforce, excessive capacity, excessive utility consumption, and so on. But is the problem solved? Unfortunately, no! Often manufacturing companies focus on maximizing the flow and meeting customer needs but forget their real aim – to make a profit for their stakeholders. Too many organizations meet customer expectations by seeking to continuously synchronize the flow to market demand but forget to check that they are doing it profitably enough to ensure business continuity and prosperity. When the financial results show that they are not so profitable, it is already too late. Moreover, the strategic direction of systematic improvements according to the sales trend – depending on the current degree of production capacity utilization and its dynamic effects on cost structures – is deficient in many manufacturing companies. So, would the failure of strategic and profitable systematic improvements be an option? Of course not! If the ultimate goal of the organization is to create target profit for stakeholders, then the behavior and strategic systematic improvements must be directed to those scenarios, strategies, tasks, problems, and “production levers” that are best based on creating the target profit. That’s what Strategic Kaizen thinking does – the simultaneous and consistent achievement of systematic operational and financial improvements in a strategic and operational manner. It achieves both synchronous operations at market demand by fulfilling takt time and profitable operations in accordance with profit demand by fulfilling takt profit. In short, the Strategic Kaizen mission is striving for the fulfillment of the ideal state of operations called synchronous profitable operations. In this book, the author, while presenting in detail the seven processes of Strategic Kaizen methodology, exposes the answer to historically incomplete thinking of productivity improvements for target profitability. The uniqueness of the book is reinforced by the detailed presentation of the successful application of the Strategic Kaizen thinking over the years in two multinational manufacturing organizations operating in highly competitive markets, addressing the synchronous profitable operations for both the sales increase scenario and the sales decrease scenario. Moreover, it presents examples of the practical application of the “white-collar” Strategic Kaizen. Essentially, by adopting the Strategic Kaizen methodology presented in detail in this book to consistently achieve the ideal state of a manufacturing organization, organizations will enter a new paradigm of thinking of strategic improvements – Strategic Kaizen thinking – to meet annual and multiannual target profits in a unique and effective way that operates according to its own strategic and operational management system.