Factory Physics Second Edition (Hardcover)

~ Wallace Hopp (Author), Mark Spearman (Author) "What is factory physics, and why should one study it?..." (more)
Key Phrases: base stock model, effective process time, regular time production, Penny Fab One, Henry Ford, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Comprehensive Introduction to Manufacturing Management text covering the behavior laws at work in factories. Examines operating policies and strategic objectives. Hopp presents the concepts of manufacturing processes and controls within a "physics" or "laws of nature" analogy--a novel approach. There is enough quantitative material for an engineer's course, as well as narrative that a management major can understand and apply.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 720 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 2 edition (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0256247951
• ISBN-13: 978-0256247954
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #566,176 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference book for the manufacturing professional, August 2, 2000

By	Robert A. Giacobbe (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Factory Physics: Foundations of Manufacturing Management (Hardcover)

As a supply chain consultant, oftentimes the quality of my work is directly impacted by the reference aids in my own personal library. "Factory Physics" is such a reference aid that has my work has benefitted from several times.

The book covers all of the traditional manufacturing topics you would expect in sufficient detail: inventory control, JIT, production scheduling, capacity planning, shop floor control, etc. But given that you can buy any number of other suitable, standard P&IC textbooks on these topics, that's not where the value is.

The value in "Factory Physics" lies in the unique content which presents manufacturing management in a "scientific" context. For example, there are chapters on 'Basic Factory Dynamics,' 'Variability Basics,' and 'The Corrupting Influence on Variability.' These chapters demonstrate how manufacturing managers and engineers can move away from the rule-of-thumb, heuristics-based approach to operations planning and control (which is so often is either a guessing game or not based on empirical data) to a more formal, rule- and data-driven approach.

For example, I have been in many factories where management had only a SWAG approach to modeling equipment reliabilities, cycle times and throughput volumes, which drive queues and thus impact shop floor inventory. This book gives you the tools to properly understand these dynamics, if these are important issues to you.

The content in the book on the corrupting influence of variability is a welcome harkening back to the ideas of Edward Deming, who consistently preached about the damage that variation can do when introduced into stable production environments. In my opinion, this is another example of the unique and rare content offered by "Factory Physics."

Other value-adding content includes discussions sprinkled throughout the book on the fallacies and disadvantages of age-old planning and control methodologies, such as MRP or EOQ. In a world where 99% of textbooks believe their only duty to the reader is to simply present laundry lists of all the planning techniques known to humankind, these critical commentaries are a breath of fresh air.

I don't recommend this book lightly, or to individuals who are only loosely associated with operations planning and control positions. Rather, I highly, highly recommend it to serious, mature manufacturing professionals who are not timid of higher level mathematics, statistics and probability theory. If not, the reader would probably not be able to realize the true value of the book and it would go unused.

A former client of mine, who was nice guy but a novice when it came to manufacturing issues, asked me if he should buy "Factory Physics" for his own use. My response to him was this: "If you wanted to learn more about physics you probably wouldn't order reprints of papers by Einstein, Hawking, Bohr, etc. You would go and buy something like 'Physics for Dummies' and start there. I suggest you do the same for manufacturing content."

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most analytical text on factory management; ever !, October 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Factory Physics: Foundations of Manufacturing Management (Hardcover)

I have kilos of books on manufacturing and as a long practising and experienced Industrial Engineer, I would ditch 90% of them for "Factory Physics". Why ? For many good reasons; The authors succinctly state the condition of manufacturing in the USA today and its underestimated role in its contribution to the national economy. This condition is mirrored in other industrial economies. But that is just the start; there is the history of manufacturing management that puts its role in perspective; then the authors put the acronyms and fads in their place along with the messiahs and the missions and messages. They sort the wheat from the chaff.

The heart of "Factory Physics" is the authors' explanations of the dynamics of factory systems and their interactions; which are logically revealed and well exampled.

Further MRPs, JIT / Kanbans are constructively criticised and put into their appropriate roles and functions. No authors have previously so constructively questioned the validity of these programs and techniques and then come up with very logical and applicable alternatives.

But more ! In "Factory Physics" are the "Laws" of manufacturing systems; about 20 of them; These are the Laws that govern the 'behaviour' of factories and even the behaviour of the people's that run them. One can see these Laws in evidence in manufacturing plants at any time, anywhere and with any product.

The text of "Factory Physics" is a solid foundation for the understanding of manufacturing; the basics; the necessary 'instincts' to build on and the guiding models to synthesise solutions to classic production problems. But above all there are the Laws; that provide a constructive means for effectively analysing and managing manufacturing plants and systems.

If there was a prize to be awarded for a spearhead text for a "science of manufacturing" for the new millenium; then Messrs Hopp, Spearman and team should receive it for "Factory Physics".

This book must be the standard text for present and future Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers and Plant Managers.

Move over Maynard !

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best textbook to date relating mfg theory to the real world, May 8, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Factory Physics: Foundations of Manufacturing Management (Hardcover)

Having worked with Spearman and Hopp at Northwestern during the formation of this book, I have been applying it's lessons in practical applications for over 5 years. The lessons learned from this book have provided me an intuition for reacting to and solving problems in manufacturing and business that has withstood the test of time.

Now, when a consultant, or a magazine, or my boss proclaims some great new solution, I don't compare the solution to some other proposed solution to try and figure out which is best. I compare all proposed solutions to the fundamental laws of factory physics to see which solution best suits my requirements.

The main drawback of the book is that it is a textbook and, as such, will require time to read and understand. On the other hand, the book reads well and is not one mathematical proof after another. The authors have based the book on solid science but have limited the extensive proofs for the appendix.

This book is a must-have reference and guide for anyone working in manufacturing or the business of manufacturing.