Importance

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Abstract

An in-depth review of the switchboard business, including customer interviews, revealed that customer specifications were more complex than customer needs. Customer needs were quantified, and a reduced set of standard switchboard configuration classes was selected so that about 80% of customer orders based on actual customer needs could be satisfied by the standard switchboard configuration classes, and the remaining orders would be satisfied by custom designed switchboards. Major components in the standard switchboards were themselves standardized. A standard switchboard, for example, has a continuous current capacity of no more than 4000 Amps, a maximum voltage rating of 480 Vac, a short circuit current rating of no more than 200 kA, and an aluminum or copper bus. The manufacture of the standard switchboards was optimized for a one-day manufacturing cycle and separated from the manufacture of the custom designed switchboards. A sales office and manufacturing plant roll-out schedule was implemented and managed by computer-based spreadsheet tools. A switchboard configuration computer program module was designed and interfaced between a product selector and a materials management (MRP) system in order to automate the process of entering orders, designing standard switchboards, ordering parts, and scheduling assembly of standard switchboards.

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First Claim