If you want your dream hotel to come to life, your manufacturer must be ready for whatever you throw at them.
Responsive and Flexible Hotel Furniture Manufacturing
Industry trends are constantly changing. Is your furniture manufacturer prepared? Your vendor’s performance affects your design, lead time, price, and other aspects of project management - all of which affect your market agility.
If you want to remain agile and keep your edge, your manufacturer needs to shift gears quickly with more flexible, dynamic operating systems and technologies.
One indicator of responsiveness is the use of process improvement programs. Three popular programs are lean manufacturing, quality response manufacturing, and just-in-time production.
1. Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing optimizes workflow and eliminates unnecessary waste from the manufacturing process. Waste is anything that doesn’t add value to your project, including:
- Transport
- Inventory (idle, excess)
- Motion
- Waiting, delays
- Over-processing
- Overproduction
- Defects
Lean manufacturing optimizes movement of product through the manufacturing process, minimizing common mistakes and improving efficiency. It creates more value for you by using fewer resources through an optimized workflow.
BENEFITS OF LEAN MANUFACTURING:
- Streamlined production
- Controlled costs
- Higher quality products
- Minimal waste
2. Quality Response Manufacturing (QRM)
Lead times don’t affect only the manufacturing process. Non-manufacturing processes like purchasing, transporting, finance, and human resources also affect your lead times. QRM is applied to the entire organization (planning, purchasing, supply chain management, and office operations).
QRM assesses the entire company to reduce lead times and increase productivity.
A manufacturer that uses QRM can respond quickly at any level of business operations.
BENEFITS OF QRM:
- Communication and checks/balances at all levels
- Tight control over supply chain
- Detailed process insights
3. Just-In-Time Production (JIT)
Similar to lean manufacturing, JIT production reduces waste and other excesses (materials, stock, effort, etc.) that increase costs. Storage issues are a problem when there is an overproduction of goods - one of the big contributors to higher costs. Your manufacturer orders parts only as they’re needed for your design.
BENEFITS OF JIT:
- Minimal waste
- No storage needed
- Shorter production runs
- Less money spent on raw materials
With shorter production runs, your manufacturer can produce more than one of your designs at the same time, or quickly shift between products.
Bring Quality & Financial Rewards with These 3 Hotel Furniture Manufacturing Standards
A combination of lean manufacturing, QRM, and JIT is a recipe for success for your overall hotel project. A manufacturer that uses process improvement programs has their clients’ best interests at heart. That means you get your product on budget, on time, and with minimal waste.
(Editor's Note: This is a revised edition of a blog originally posted Feb. 1, 2017.)
