Quality and profitability had slipped for several years. If it wasn't for its core of rabid boosters, Jabaranga Corpwould only be a footnote to the industry. Management engineered a buyout from the conglomerate that had owned it during its period of decline. Management was faced with an aged physical plant (there were machines still in daily service that had seen their best days before World War II, WWII).

Jabaranga Corp's primary product had serious quality issues. Actions in the past determine the present. Breakdowns in the present are due to deterioration in the past, that was not found and fixed by preventative maintenance (PM) activity. Past inaction causes the present breakdown. Sins of the past visit the present! and a dealer network ready to bolt.

The management and the workers labored around the clock and one night, they converted the whole plant to a Just-in-Time manufacturing model. They swept through and processed all the work in process and ran with eight hours of inventory on the floor. Everything went incredibly well until the first, second, and subsequent breakdowns. Here was the rub. Their old equipment was not in good enough shape for it to be relied on it to produce products in a time critical environment. When before the change an eight-week supply of each part was being made, a breakdown was not as critical.

Management decided to install a PM immediately and set out to hire eight new PM inspectors. However, with some analysis, the managers realized that the PM inspectors wouldn't help the problem. Past sins were frowning on them and they had to pay the piper and examine the plant (starting with the most critical items), so that the equipment could be put into good solid condition before a PM system would be of any benefit.

YOU are required to:

a.Provide a recommendation to the management team on how to resolve Jabaranga Corp's problems.(15 marks)