Hewlett Packard Fort Collins
Fort Collins History
Fort Collins Division (FCD) was established In February of 1977, headed by Tom Kelley, and known in the beginning as a Calculator Products Group. One year later, the Ft Collins Division produced the HP-250 small business computer system and became known as the Desktop Computer Division (DCD) in august of the same year. In 1979, DCD was HP 's most profitable division, reaching revenue of $200M. Their next big leap came in 1983 with the combination of the allied, yet struggling, Engineering Systems Division (ESD). At the time, the ESD was producing the 500 series line of computers. The two combined to form the Fort Collins System Division (FCSD) and produced the first highly-successful 300 series computers. Three years later, the Fort Collins system division reached revenue of 475M in 1988.
Introduction
Hewlett-Packard is addressing the best approach in manufacturing an upcoming line of 9000HP computers. They assess previously used techniques such as “repetitive Just-in-Time manufacturing” and “low volume manufacturing” for the future complex, low-level production line. There are many ways to adapt repetitive manufacturing concepts to lower volume complex products. The following outlines the assessment, incorporation, and feedback experienced by Hewlett-Packard when adopting a JIT manufacturing concept for their line of complex, low-volume, 9000HP computer line.
Methodology
A common approach to JIT repetitive manufacturing is the progressive assembly line consisting of man and or machine resources. In order to prevent bottlenecks and inventories, these lines are sought to be balanced so that time at each station is equal. The sustainability of a balanced progressive assembly line becomes more difficult with the complexity of the product. Progressive assembly lines are also constrained by the number of operators. This number bust be less than or equal to your number of operators to ensure that each operation or set of operations has at least
Fort Collins Division (FCD) was established In February of 1977, headed by Tom Kelley, and known in the beginning as a Calculator Products Group. One year later, the Ft Collins Division produced the HP-250 small business computer system and became known as the Desktop Computer Division (DCD) in august of the same year. In 1979, DCD was HP 's most profitable division, reaching revenue of $200M. Their next big leap came in 1983 with the combination of the allied, yet struggling, Engineering Systems Division (ESD). At the time, the ESD was producing the 500 series line of computers. The two combined to form the Fort Collins System Division (FCSD) and produced the first highly-successful 300 series computers. Three years later, the Fort Collins system division reached revenue of 475M in 1988.
Introduction
Hewlett-Packard is addressing the best approach in manufacturing an upcoming line of 9000HP computers. They assess previously used techniques such as “repetitive Just-in-Time manufacturing” and “low volume manufacturing” for the future complex, low-level production line. There are many ways to adapt repetitive manufacturing concepts to lower volume complex products. The following outlines the assessment, incorporation, and feedback experienced by Hewlett-Packard when adopting a JIT manufacturing concept for their line of complex, low-volume, 9000HP computer line.
Methodology
A common approach to JIT repetitive manufacturing is the progressive assembly line consisting of man and or machine resources. In order to prevent bottlenecks and inventories, these lines are sought to be balanced so that time at each station is equal. The sustainability of a balanced progressive assembly line becomes more difficult with the complexity of the product. Progressive assembly lines are also constrained by the number of operators. This number bust be less than or equal to your number of operators to ensure that each operation or set of operations has at least
Cited: [1] Feitzinger, Edward, and Hau L. Lee. "Mass Customization at Hewlett Packard: The Power of Postponement." Harvard Business Review n.d.: 111-25. Web. [2] "History of Hewlett Packard." Information Gateway. N.p., June-July 2012. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. [3] Sepehri, Mehran. Just-in-time, Not Just in Japan: Case Studies of American Pioneers in JIT Implementation. Falls Church, VA: American Production and Inventory Control Society, 1986. Print.