(Flexible manufacturing systems; research; writing) Research the topic of manufacturing cells on the Internet, and write a brief report on company experiences using those cells.
(Flexible manufacturing systems; writing) The installation of a flexible manufacturing system allows firms to produce a variety of products in small batches. Assume Johnson Steel, a metal fabricating company, is considering switching from a traditional assembly line production process to an FMS. Provide answers to the following questions.
a. How would the adoption of an FMS likely affect the inventory levels?
b. How would the adoption of an FMS likely affect the level of employment for production employees?
c. Would the adoption of an FMS require employees to be retrained? Explain.