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🏭 The 20 Laws of Manufacturing
A strategic, technical guide to efficiency, quality, and culture in industrial operations – especially in cable manufacturing and related sectors
EFFICIENCY & OPTIMIZATION
• Parkinson's Law
Work expands to fill the time allowed.
Practical Tip: Use aggressive but realistic deadlines and automate scheduling in extrusion, winding, and packaging areas.
• Theory of Constraints (TOC)
Identify bottlenecks in your process (e.g., insulation line), elevate them, and restructure flow for continuous improvement.
→ Focus first on constraint KPIs: uptime, changeover time
• Amdahl's Law
System speed is limited by its slowest process.
→ Example: Fast copper drawing is meaningless if jacket extrusion is slow.
• Hick's Law
More choices = slower decisions.
→ Standardize operator panels, reduce SKU variation
SUPPLY CHAIN & PRODUCTION
• Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
80% of impact = 20% of causes.
→ Focus on top-selling cables and top 5 causes of rework.
• Bullwhip Effect
Small demand changes ripple into large inventory fluctuations.
→ Use Kanban or real-time demand signaling
• Lean Method
Eliminate muda (waste), focus on value-added tasks.
→ Apply 5S, SMED, and visual management in the plant
• Little's Law
Throughput = Inventory ÷ Lead Time
→ Reduce WIP for better flow and space utilization
QUALITY
• Six Sigma
Data-driven defect elimination
→ Apply to tensile strength tests, flame tests, continuity issues
• Deming's 14 Points
Systematic management for continuous improvement
→ Useful in cable certification and customer complaints resolution
• Juran's Theory
Quality is "fitness for use".
→ Train operators to own product quality, not just inspectors
• Total Quality Management (TQM)
Quality = Everyone's job
→ Build a culture of accountability and process discipline
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
• Conway's Law
System design mimics communication patterns.
→ Cross-functional collaboration = better process mapping
• Brook's Law
Adding people to late projects = more delays
→ Optimize your planning before expanding the team
• Moore's Law
Tech improves exponentially
→ Invest in smart machines, PLCs, and AI-driven quality inspection
• Amara's Law
We overestimate tech short-term, underestimate long-term
→ Adopt gradually, plan for long-term integration (e.g., IIoT, MES systems)
PEOPLE & CULTURE
• Peter Principle
People rise to their level of incompetence
→ Promote based on skill, not just tenure
• Hawthorne Effect
People perform better when observed
→ Introduce transparent metrics boards on shopfloor
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
People need stability before motivation
→ Provide fair wages, job security, and growth paths
• Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory
Motivators (growth, recognition) vs hygiene (pay, policies)
→ Don't confuse removing dissatisfaction with true motivation
Tip: Use these laws not as theory but as operational filters for better decisions across maintenance, production, HR, and planning.