Franklin Corporations ’ s Double - D Cell for Assembling Hardware in Upholstered Furniture Production : Case Study Number One

Is your company lean? It can be, with the help of MSU’s Institute of Furniture Manufacturing and Management. Faculty in the Institute have been looking in depth at lean processes and how they can be implemented in Mississippi furniture and supplying companies. A series of studies that relate specifi cally to the development and use of lean manufacturing techniques in furniture and wood component supplying industries have been initiated and will be published in an FWRC Research Bulletin Series. This issue of highlights will look at Franklin Corporation’s implementation of lean manufacturing and adoption of the “Double D” manufacturing cell. Lean processes are designed to produce superior quality products at a low cost while increasing the competitiveness of manufacturers using the concepts. Although lean processes were fi rst developed by the Toyota Motor Company in Japan to reduce inventory levels and add manufacturing fl exibility while increasing productivity, the concept has not been applied widely to furniture manufacturing. Lean manufacturing is truly the manufacturing system of the future and companies today need to be more productive than the competition at providing customers with high-quality goods and services. Dr. Steve Hunter, associate professor in the Department of Forest Products, is considered one of this country’s leading experts in the design and implementation of Lean Manufacturing systems. He took the leading role in the implementation of the fi rst published case study at Franklin Corporation’s Chickasaw county-based furniture manufacturing company. Funded by the USDA Forest Service, this is the fi rst of four case studies to be highlighted. Topics for subsequent studies include the development of a new and innovative lean manufacturing system variant for fi nal assembly in an upholstered furniture production line, the use of value stream mapping in a case goods production facility, and process improvement implementation in a wood components manufacturing facility. One of the goals of these studies is to provide readers with informational resources for learning more about design and implementation of lean manufacturing systems and the benefi ts derived from these system conversions. Hassell Franklin, president and chief executive offi cer of Franklin Corporation said, “with MSU’s help, we are refi ning our mechanism assembly processes. We want to take out all of the wasted motion and streamline processes. These leaner processes and other assistance provided by MSU keep the industry’s competitive edge sharp.” With the increase of foreign competitors in the furniture market place, companies who adopt lean principles will better survive this global economy. Lean Manufacturing in Furniture and Supplying Industries