Thomas, D.
and Kandaswamy, A.
(2015),
Inventory and Flow Time in the US Manufacturing Industry, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1890
(Accessed April 20, 2024)
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Inventory and Flow Time in the US Manufacturing Industry
Published
Author(s)
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Abstract
Advancements in the efficient use of inputs, such as land and labor, have been a key driver of per capita income growth throughout history. One method for identifying potential efficiency improvements is lean manufacturing or lean production, a set of tools to assist in the identification and elimination of waste. Lean classifies waste into seven categories: overproduction, transportation, rework/defects, over-processing, motion, inventory, and waiting. Utilizing economic data, one can track the inventory and transportation time along with the flow time (i.e., the amount of time a unit spends in process), which reveals some of the categories of waste. This report identifies and reviews data on manufacturing inventory and flow time along with data on inter-industry interactions. It then develops a method for tracking the flow time of US manufactured products. This method is illustrated for automotive and aircraft manufacturing.Citation
Technical Note (NIST TN) - 1890
Report Number
1890
NIST Pub Series
Pub Type
NIST Pubs
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Keywords
manufacturing, input output, automotive manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing, flow time
Citation
Created December 14, 2015, Updated June 24, 2021