Enhancing collaborative practice in SMES through functional analysis

Abstract

Although research in manufacturing productivity and quality during the last few decades has resulted in an evolution of relevant business practices, recent studies suggest that less than 40% of manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK have been able to take advantage of modern methods. This thesis argues the importance of training in SMEs and suggests that functional modelling methods could overcome the economic, cognitive, educational and cultural constraints to the adoption of modern collaborative practices. While in the employ of a UK based manufacturing SME, the researcher utilised Action Research approaches and the Functional Analysis Diagram (FAD) method to develop and evaluate an SME proven alternative for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) using the FAD method, leading to the development of HFAD, a hierarchical modelling system to serve as an intuitive platform for communicating product functions. Next, a method was constructed, utilising HFAD to combine FMEA and Value Engineering (VE) in a single process. Drawing on related literature and case study results suggesting a positive correlation between product function knowledge, manufacturing productivity and work quality, a novel methodology for training manufacturing personnel on product functions was developed. The intervention results confirmed feasibility and usability while the company’s production performance metrics indicated remarkable utility improvements, amounting to 38% in collaborative process (e.g. FMEA) efficiency, 68% in productivity (p<0.01) and 63% in work quality (p<0.01). Post intervention interviews also suggested significant improvements in the levels of collaboration at the individual and business function level and confirmed that the HFAD system had delivered on its communication objectives. This five year study contributes to the body of knowledge on applied form dependent functional modelling and personnel training on product functions, offering a range of field tested business methods and techniques that SMEs can utilise to take advantage of modern business practices.