I. Give Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases.

to give a warranty

to identify faults

to discover the cause

to monitor production process

to observe service

to provide after sales care

to relaunch

the finished goods

defects

to test products chosen at random

to examine consumer satisfaction

to provide compensation

to meet standards

to recall the product

to investigate faults

to modify

to refund

to make routine checks at each stage

to eliminate the cause

давать гарантию

выявить неисправности

узнать причину

контролировать производственный процесс

наблюдать за обслуживанием

обеспечить послепродажное обслуживание

перезапустить

готовая продукция

дефекты

тестировать продукты, выбранные случайным образом

исследовать удовлетворенность потребителей

предоставить компенсацию

соответствовать стандартам

вернуть товар

исследовать неисправности

модифицировать

вернуть

проводить плановые проверки на каждом этапе

устранить причину

 

II. Complete the text.

              Jane is a Quality Control Engineer. She works for a large women’s wear manufacturer. Every day she (makes many checks) to ensure that the finished goods (meet standards). She (tests products chosen at random). She carefully examines the products to make sure there are no (defects) in them.

              Jane’s department staff check not only the quality of the (finished goods), but also the (quality) of the fabrics and accessories when they arrive at the factory, before the production department starts working. Jane’s company quality management system includes not only quality control but also quality assurance. (Routine checks are made at each stage). All employees are involved in this system.

              That is why Jane rarely finds defective items. Jane’s company provides a good warranty for their products. They are ready to (to provide compensation) if the consumer is (not satisfied) with the quality of their products. They always deal with the problem right away if retailers (report complaints). They usually (recall) the item.

 

READING PRACTICE

I. Read the text and match the headings to the correct paragraphs.

a) Beyond the Japanese car industry

b) The employees

c) The result

d) TPS

e) JIT

f) Lean manufacturing

g) Chaos

 

1) G

By the 1970s, car production and America was huge. Demand was high and cars were mass-produced on an enormous scale. But when demand changed, and mass production methods didn’t, thousands of unsold vehicles sat outside the factories waiting to be bought. In Japan however, things were different.

2) D

The Toyota Production System (TPS) was developed in the middle of the last century by a Toyota manager named Tailichi Ohno. It created the most efficient car production system in the world. Instead of using machines that built only one specific part, Toyota designed machines that could produce many different parts. This made Toyota more flexible and able to react quickly to customers’ changing needs.

3) F

By the 1990s, the term Lean Manufacturing was being used to describe TPS. Lean manufacturing combines the best elements of craftwork and mass production. It uses less labour, less machinery, less space and less time. The aim of lean manufacturing is to eliminate all defects. If something goes wrong a worker can stop the whole production line and deal with the problem immediately. If the worker didn’t make this decision, production could carry on producing faulty or incorrect parts.

4) C

At Toyota, the just-in-time system makes stores or warehouses unnecessary because parts are only produced or ordered when they are needed. This means that costs are cut, and turnover is increased.

5) B

Toyota has more success with lean manufacturing than other companies because all their employees have a clear understanding of the objective and are totally committed to kaizen, the Japanese term for continuous improvement. Importantly, Toyota employees identify strongly with their company.

6) E

When implemented successfully, the TPS is a systematic way to satisfy customer needs and create meaningful work for every member of an organization. The results of TPS are superior products and service quality, short lead times, low costs and a safe (physically and emotionally) working environment for the employees.

7) A

Although lean manufacturing is spreading from the car factory to other industries, manufacturers around the world who try to implement the TPS are not always successful. One of the reasons for this is that companies which have been running mass production systems sometimes find it difficult to adjust. Additionally, in the West, where employees think of themselves before the company, it is more difficult for employees to adapt to the TPS.

 

 

II. Match the terms on the left with the definitions on the right.

1. kaizen С	a) in this process stock is only ordered when it is needed – not before
2. just-in-time A	b) a system that aims to produce more, using less. The removal of waste (waste – anything that does not add to the final product)
3. lean manufacturing B	c) continually making small improvements which lead to greater effectiveness and higher quality

 

III. Are the following statements right or wrong? Correct the wrong ones.

1. The Toyota Production System started 100 years ago in Japan. False. The Toyota Production System (TPS) was developed in the middle of the last century.

2. Toyota’s machines are multi-purpose. They are able to produce more than one part. True.

3. Lean manufacturing is another name for the TPS. True. By the 1990s, the term Lean Manufacturing was being used to describe TPS

4. Toyota’s employees are involved in the production process. True.

5. Just-in-time means that parts are ordered once a month. False. It means that there are continually small improvements which lead to greater effectiveness and higher quality.

6. The company is important to Japanese employees. True.

7. The TPS means that the environment the employees work in is less dangerous. False. The TPS is a systematic way to satisfy customer needs and create meaningful work for every member of an organization.

8. The TPS is successful all over the world. True.

 

WRITING PRACTICE

I. Write a story how you bought a good quality (or poor quality) product. Tell

1. what you bought

2. where you bought it

2. why you bought it

3. why it was satisfying or dissatisfying

4. what you did with the product

 

 

I bought a computer. I bought it in a big international company. I bought it because I needed it for my work. But the computer didn’t work in the evening. I was dissatisfied. I wanted to reject the item and would like a full refund. The seller tested the product and identified faults. He gave me full refund.