Companies can't afford this habit if they want to compete effectively in the supply chain world. What if supply chain partners have different production cycles? Will they whipsaw each other? Will one partner pass on his stop-and-go behavior to others - amplifying the swings all along the chain? Sound management calls for ironing out fluctuations, at east those of a self-imposed nature. Chapter 28 discuss ways this can be done in the supply chain.
Variability in processes is targeted by measures to ensure "process capability." Our DaimlerChryster example describes how a large automotive company address this source of variability. We expand on that example in Chapter 28 to describe the need for processes capable of consistent output at any level of production volume.