Factories,
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Theory of Constraints, Critical Chain Project Management, Lean : industry consulting & training - Marris Consulting
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VAT Factory types
The VAT factory types are the Theory Of Constraints’ powerful classification system of the different kinds of industrial manufacturing systems, they determine how plants should be analyzed and how they should be managed.
TOC solutions in manufacturing are different for V-plants, A-plants, and T-Plants.
The letters represent visually the Bill Of Materials, with the flow going from bottom (raw materials) to top (finished goods).
- The V-Plant has very few different kinds of raw materials compared to the wide range of finished goods that it produces. These are often continuous or semi-continuous process industries.
- The A-Plant is the opposite of the V-plant, many different raw materials and purchased components are assembled to produce a limited range of finished goods, Original Equipment Manufacturers for instance (OEMs).
- The T-plant, or the “modern assembly plant”, has emerged because an A-plant cannot personalize its products. The vertical bar of the T-plant makes some of the components (via a combination of V and A plants) and the horizontal bar of the T represents the assembly. The assembly is based on a logic of options and variants. The best-known example is the production of a car.
The VAT representation is very powerful because the analysis and the TOC “solution” is often specific and different in the different types of plants.
Nota: Some people also include a fourth type called “I” in the VAT typology (“VATI”) but we consider that I-plants are a subset of the V-plants.
This video is an extract of the online course “Theory Of Constraints in production” by Philip Marris.
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Marris Consulting, expert in Theory of Constraints & Critical Chain Project Management
Marris Consulting is an expert in the Theory of Constraints (ToC) and Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM). As industry consultants, we are focused on helping process and manufacturing industries reach their highest levels of performance by using Constraints Management combined with Lean and Six Sigma. We also use Critical Chain Project Management which we sometimes combine with Lean engineering to improve project performance. If you are unsure about the actions which need to be implemented to improve operational efficiency, our industrial management consultants can also conduct a performance audit. Furthermore, our experts host numerous Theory of Constraints (ToC), lean and project management training sessions throughout the year.
About Marris Consulting
Marris Consulting is an industry consulting and training company specialized in the Theory of Constraints (ToC) and Critical Chain Project Management. We focus on improving the performance of manufacturing and process industries by using Constraints Management combined with Lean and Six Sigma. To boost project performance, we also use Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM), which we sometimes combine with Lean Engineering. Our 2-day performance audits, our performance consulting services and our project management, Lean, ToC & CCPM training by our industry consultants offer a wide range of solutions to help our clients around the world reach the highest possible levels of performance.