One-on-One with Vijay Gurav: Smarter Scheduling for a Leaner Future in Manufacturing and Factory

In an era defined by rapid shifts in demand and increasing product variation highmix lowvolume HMLV manufacturing has emerged as one of the industryrsquos greatest challenges To understand how manufacturers are adapting we sat down with Vijay Gurav Senior Industrial Engineer at Boston Whaler USA and author of Modern Industrial Engineering and Factory Assembly Line Systems Gurav is at the forefront of a new wave of production thinkers redefining how we approach scheduling in complex manufacturing environments such as Fiberglass Boat ManufacturingQ Vijay what makes HMLV production so difficult in todayrsquos marketGurav In todayrsquos competitive and rapidly shifting markets manufacturers are increasingly faced with the challenge of producing a wide variety of products in smaller quantities Known as highmix lowvolume HMLV production this environment demands precision flexibility and a radical rethinking of traditional production scheduling techniquesUnlike mass production HMLV involves frequent changeovers varied customer demands and intricate scheduling needs Factories must respond quickly to new orders while minimizing downtime and avoiding waste Thatrsquos why engineers and Lean experts are now working on tailored strategies that maintain both efficiency and adaptabilityQ Yoursquove developed your own agile scheduling model What does it focus onGurav My recent research is centred around agile production scheduling systems in Boat Manufacturing which is categorical can be applied in any HMLV Factories These systems dynamically adjust crew sizes workstation allocations and part sequencing based on realtime data and part requirements Especially in HMLV setupswhere some parts might only be needed once every few weeksthe focus is on uninterrupted batch completion and strategic crew deploymentldquoHMLV production isnrsquot chaotic by natureit just requires a different logic You have to treat scheduling as a living systemone that adapts to each productrsquos flow takt time and setup constraints Thatrsquos how you avoid bottlenecks and keep throughput consistentrdquoQ How do your ideas align with Lean manufacturing traditionsGurav My approach builds on foundational Lean principles For instance Taiichi Ohno from the Toyota Production System emphasized heijunka or leveling production even in mixedmodel Assembly lines Similarly Art Byrne the former CEO of The Wiremold Company always advocated for visual controls and scheduling simplicity to manage complexity I see my work as a digital evolution of those timeless ideasQ Are manufacturers already putting these scheduling strategies into actionGurav Yescompanies like GE Appliances and Bosch are great examples Theyrsquore already integrating digital kanban systems modular workstations and realtime dashboards into their HMLV operations These tools help prioritize jobs not just by due dates but also by considering resource availability material readiness and workforce flexibilityQ Finally where do you see the future of HMLV production headingGurav The goal is no longer just to schedule fasteritrsquos to schedule smarter Wersquore moving toward intelligent adaptive systems that balance Lean principles with realtime data and predictive tools Itrsquos an exciting space where traditional manufacturing wisdom meets digital innovation and the potential is enormous Smarter Factories Optimized Assembly lines amp Leaner scheduling systems is future of Production amp Factors across the world

One-on-One with Vijay Gurav: Smarter Scheduling for a Leaner Future in Manufacturing and Factory

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One-on-One with Vijay Gurav: Smarter Scheduling for a Leaner Future in Manufacturing and Factory

Other Articles

Mid-Day Fast