More than just an equipment change, flexible manufacturing
also requires a change in thinking.
"When it comes to improving plant flexibility and throughput, nothing comes before quality," says Jerry Claunch, president of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-based Claunch & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in improving food manufacturing operations. According to Claunch, whose clients include Pepsi and Kraft, product quality must remain the prime objective, especially as plants continue to look for ways to cut their costs. "Customers expect 100 percent quality, so any improvements or changes made to reduce time and cost must also ensure that customers continue to get quality."