The general goal in the company is not only maximal productivity and maximal machine utilization to the imaginary 100%. They put into the sewing process management the so called “operator’s biofactor”. While observing the operators’ work, they have recognized that every operator has its own predispositions – what is 100% workload for one operator, this can be for more experienced and stronger operator only 85% workload. When the management took this into account and stationed the operators according to this finding (they call it internally as the “machine biologization”), they could increase the cell throughput, and thus improve continuous flow and productivity increasement. However, it would be short-sighted to “biologize” only a machine where an operator can be overloaded. Therefore, the management balances the machine biologization with the so-called “operator humanization”, which means establishing the rules for the operators’ rotation, changing the work pace (run or walk) and optimalization of the work breaks.
4.3. “Humanizing” takt time and productivity
It can be said that in every manufacturing system some kind of work-in-process exists. Work-inprocess is started, but not finished production yet. It can be none, minimal, optimal, and large. The best is to have an optimal, because none and minimal work-in-process causes idle time. When we have idle times, even though we have a skillful, quick operator, he or she cannot catch up. The reason