Whirlpool Corporation is one of the leading companies in the manufacturing of kitchenware and laundry products. The company has focused on improving the quality of its goods to attract more customers. Whirlpool is headquartered in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, United States, and ships its products to various countries. Thus, it is a multinational corporation, and many people recognize its brand. Managers in the organization have ensured that planning is exercised to improve the manufacturing process and guarantee that the company is more competitive by improving the quality of its home appliances. Therefore, one can analyze how planning plays a significant role in Whirlpool’s manufacturing process.
One of the issues involved in the planning is lean manufacturing. The company introduced the method to ensure that it achieved an aggressive growth spurt and increase foreign competition (Laseter, 2017). The plan to introduce lean manufacturing was also essential since it led to the production of more diverse products and increased the organization’s market share. Flexibility was also observed by the company, whereby the manufacturing process involves focusing on the products’ demands to ensure that adequate goods are manufactured (Minter, 2017). The plan helps Whirlpool to retain and attract more customers since they can access various Whirlpool products in the market. Moreover, the plan allows the company to deliver the right product at the right time.
Another aspect of planning that has a significant role in Whirlpool’s manufacturing process is its elimination of waste. Many companies have increased pollution due to poor waste management during the manufacturing process. Therefore, whirlpool managers have guaranteed that waste can be recycled or is disposed of properly. Reduction of production cost is also achieved by recycling some of the wastes (Minter, 2017). Consequently, the organization has primarily benefited from the plan and has played a significant role in conserving the environment.
Embracing innovation is another plan that managers in the company have introduced. The organization has encouraged the employees to ensure that they manufacture products to meet the customer’s needs. Typically, consumers are attracted by quality goods and excellent services. Thus, Whirlpool has focused on the manufacturing process, whereby workers have been encouraged to present their ideas that can improve the quality of goods manufactured by the company (Laseter, 2017). For instance, technology has been encouraged in the manufacturing process, where many products such as laundry machines have been developed using modern technology. The company’s director has also revealed that Whirlpool’s manufacturing engineering group is tasked with evaluating technologies that can be used to produce different goods.
Leadership is an essential aspect of every organization since it determines the performance of workers. Therefore, Whirlpool managers have developed a strategic plan that involves manufacturing leaders taking information from employees and working on problem-solving has been encouraged in the manufacturing process (Minter, 2017). The company uses the information acquired from workers to manufacture products that meet customer demands. In most cases, workers interact with the consumers and acquire their feedback regarding the corporation’s goods. Thus, the manufacturing leaders are encouraged to cooperate with workers and learn about people’s needs in the market.
To conclude, planning has been one of the essential aspects of Whirlpool’s improved manufacturing process. The managers have ensured that plans to use modern technology are implemented in the manufacturing process to improve the quality of goods. Innovation has also been encouraged in the company to ensure that workers can present their ideas to enhance the quality of products. Moreover, lean manufacturing has been used by Whirlpool to guarantee that its goods meet customer needs. Planning has also been used to ensure that waste products are appropriately disposed of and recycled during the manufacturing process to reduce production costs. Thus, one can note that planning plays a significant role in Whirlpool’s manufacturing process.
References
Laseter, T.M (2017). Whirlpool Corporation Global Procurement. Darden Business Publishing Cases, 1(2474), 1-4. Web.
Minter, S. (2017) Whirlpool’s Green takes aim at world class manufacturing. Industry Week. Web.