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1、8EVERETTKENNEDYBROWN/epa/CorbisLEANSYSTEMSPanasoniccompanyemployeesworkonthedisassemblylineofCRTtelevisionsetsatthecompany’sPanasonicEcoTechnologyCenterinKatocity,Hyogoprefecture,Japan.Incon-junctionwithPanasonic’seffortstodevelopeasy-to-recycleproducts,thecompanyisalsodevelopingnewrecyc
2、lingtechnologiesandfocusingonbuildingleanoperations.Topreventwaste,anannualtotalof30,700tonsofhomeappliancesarerecycledatthePanasonicfacility,including29,400televisionunits,135,700airconditioners,173,300washingmachinesand149,100refrigerators.PanasonicCorporationanasonicCorporation,whichw
3、asoriginallyfoundedasMatsushitaCorporationPin1918toproducelamps,hasgrowntobecomeoneofthelargestelectronicmanufacturingfirmsintheworld.Withover384,000employeesand680con-solidatedcompanies,itisthelargestproducerinJapanofover15,000electronicproductsunderthebrandnamesofPanasonic,National,Qua
4、sar,andTechnics,amongothers.Renownedforitsglobalfocusonefficiencyandleanoperations,itspursuitofexcellenceisexemplifiednowherebetterthanattheMatsushitaElectricCompany’sfactoryinSagaonJapan’ssouthernislandofKyushu,wherecordlessphones,faxmachines,andsecuritycamerasaremadeinrecordtimebymachi
5、nesinaspotlessfacility.Eventhoughtheplant’sefficiencyhaddoubledoverafour-yearspan,manag-erssawopportunitiesfor“trimmingthefat”andimprovingfurther.Theplant’sconveyorbeltswerereplacedbyaclusterofrobotsthatcouldseamlesslyhandoffworktooneanother,flexiblysubstituteforabrokenrobot,andsynchroni
6、zeproductionusingsoftware.Asaresult,throughputtimedeclinedfrom2.5daysto40minutes,allowingtheSagaplanttomaketwiceasmanyphonesperweek,whichinturnallowedareductionininventorybecausecomponentssuchaschipsandcircuitboardsspendmuchlesstimeinthefactory.Beingabletomakethingsfastermeansthattheplan
7、tcanquicklychangetheproductmixevenascustomerdemandsshiftandnewproductsareintroduced,thusallowingPanasonictokeepaheadoflowcostrivalsinKorea,China,andotherAsiancountries.PanasonichasusedthelessonslearnedfromtheSagamotherplanttochange275layoutsandsetupsatsixotherplantsinChin
