INTERACTION BETWEEN SUBCYCLES - ONE KEY TO IMPROVED METHODS

The relationship of one subcycle to another can be complex. Productivi ty suffers when the output of one subcycle delays a following step or when resources required for one subcycle are engaged in another. Isola ting subcycles from immediate interaction with other subcycles is an i mportant principle in the design and improvement of work methods. Whil e interaction cannot be eliminated, the negative effect of immediate i nteractions can be reduced with careful provision of buffers and share d resources. Five cases demonstrate different aspects of this concept. A review of 31 cases of performance improvement shows that reducing t he immediacy of interactions between subcycles is an effective method used by supervisors to cope with the uncertainty. Reducing immediate i nteraction through the provision of buffers and/or shared resources wi ll be the most effective technique for eliminating performance-reducin g interactions until greater control is achieved over the rates of sup ply and use of resources. A process for the design and improvement of work methods based on these concepts is offered.