Manual on production mapping - english

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Comparative Mapping
of Production Process
Workers’ knowledge as an
instrument of union action at the workplace
www.tie-brasil.org TIE-Brasil
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Mapping of the
Production Process
To investigate the production system from the
workers’ point of view, and to identify problems
caused by the organization of the production
process and by the ways of production
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The production process is formed by
Organization of the work Organization of the production
•Administration and allocation •Organization of material
of human resources
• Machinery, equipments and
production flows
•Stimulation and motivation of
the workers
• Lay-out and design of the factory
•Human productivity
• Mechanical productivity
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Mapping of the Productive Process
Individual workers or
workers organized in base groups
• support groups • factory groups
• union delegates • activists
collect as much as possible
information about the production process
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Information about production process and
production chain to be collected:
- number of employees
- volume of production
- productivity
- quantity of extra work / overtime
- breaks, holidays, days off and absenteeism
- suppliers and clients
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An easy way to collect
data is to draw a
Calendar of Productivity
M T W T F S S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
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where each worker lists his/her
daily production and hours of work
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Construction of
collective knowledge
The information needs to be systematized
and analyzed by the workers themselves
This means:
draw a map of the factory, create a map of the production process and
identify where the main problems for the workers are found
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Construction of collective knowledge
It permits us to reconstruct the production process and the
production chain in which we are involved.
In this way we can discover the reality and the logic of the
production system, we work in.
The map and the design of the factory enables us to visualize all of
the production process, which gives us a general image of the
organization of production. This enables us to link detected problems
to the way the production is organized at our work.
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MAPPING
KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION
ACHIEVEMENTS UNION ACTION
With this information at hand we are able to develop
consistent and well-planned strategies and actions,
which lead to more control over the production
process by the workers.
Information and control over the process enables us
to start negotiations and if necessary, conflict, in
order to change effectively the workers’ reality.
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Calculation of the necessary
working power
Serves to determine the number of people needed
to realize certain production tasks
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It is possible to calculate, because every worker knows:
- what is produced
- how many units
- how
And the most important:
- WHO is the PRODUCER
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Therefore, this work demands the cooperation of
each and every worker, each individual who is part
of the production process.
With help of the production mapping method
we collect the data that tell us about
the productivity of each workplace.
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Calendar of Productivity
M T W T F S S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
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29 30 31
In which each worker writes down the number
of produced units and working hours
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units
= work load
workers
units
= productivity
sum of human
and material
resources
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With the collected data we are able to identify
in which part of the company the worker
is able to produce more units in less
time and what is the link between
the different work places.
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UNBALANCED LINE
Based on the collected data,
we can now look into:
- the balance of the production line
- the balance of the work places
- the calculation and control of working hours
BALANCED LINE
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Therefore we need:
• ongoing contacts between workers and
union activists
• the official company information, to be
able to compare these to the information
supplied by the workers
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Once the information is possessed, we can:
• visualize the production process as one,
• detect “evolving” tendencies,
• negotiate process changes, that we find
necessary,
• oppose process changes which the
company tries to impose upon us.
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Comparative mapping
A method for trade union
action in the workplace and
in the world
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Comparative Mapping
Mapping the production system from
the point of view of the workers and
comparing the drawings/mapping results
with other shops, sectors, enterprises,
branches in different countries, etc
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Comparative Mapping
consists of
3 elements
of the same method
of trade union action:
mapping
of the production
process
comparison calculation of
of the necessary
processes work force
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Comparative Mapping
Until now we have studied two of the three
elements. Let’s look into the third one:
comparing the processes
Benchmarking
Instrument that compares production processes
in similar companies
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Benchmarking
Management method for the ongoing improvement
of the production processes in a company, by
comparing them with production processes
in similar companies that are considered
“best of their branch”
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Comparison of
production processes
is the third element in the trade union method that
provides workers with an understanding of the
production chain they work in, and the
competition among different companies
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Comparison of processes
leads to the identification of existing
differences in various companies concerning:
• working conditions and rhythm
of work
• working hours
• wage levels
• productivity
• quality
• prices and costs of production
• others
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By understanding the differences,
union and workers can discover:
• potential strategies for production re-structuring
• planned outsourcing
• costs reductions
• planned dismissals
• the more competitive companies
• critical issues and potential conflicts
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It allows us to:
• develop strategies and conditions for union action
that would fit the historical moment as well as the
juncture, seeking to attack the nerve of
entrepreneurial initiative.
• develop viable and pro-active solutions and
autonomous alternatives to defend class interests.
• increase workers’ control of production, economic
and social processes
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The elements of which comparative mapping consists
Aim at obtaining knowledge of a constantly changing reality
through the comparative analysis of working places
and of the production process from the point of view
of the workers’ interests, taking into consideration:
• the number of workers employed and necessary per
operational unit at the each enterprise.
• the work load and speed of work
• the organization and management of production
Out of the empirical knowledge of workers three elements
were developed. When joined together, they create
favorable conditions for strengthening the workers’
organizations and its fighting power.
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Summary
Comparative Mapping
step by step
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First step
Mapping collectively
• Base group
• Working place
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Second step
Systematize collectively
• Base group
• Union activists and leadership
• Working place
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Third step
Calculate the necessary workforce
• Base group
• Union activists and leadership
• Working place
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Fourth step
To compare the different:
factories – sectors – regions – countries
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Fifth step
To focus union action collectively
• To establish priorities
and methods of action
• Strategical planning
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Sixth step
Union action itself:
• at the workplace
• in a sector
• in a region
• in a country
• in the world
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Reflection...
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“COMPARATIVE MAPPING OF PRODUCTION PROCESSES - Workers’ Knowledge as an Instrument of Union Action”
Is a TIE-Brasil publication qualified for discussions in groups at the seminars of workers and union activists.
©
COPYLEFT
TIE-Transnationals Information Exchange, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil, 2008
TIE is an international network of workers and union activists. Its goal is to promote information and experience
exchange between workers, unionists, groups of workers and similar organizations, promoting debates about union
strategy and actions, focusing creation of alternatives that can permit social-economic transformations.
The present content can be reproduced by unions, workers’ commissions and other union and social non-profitable
organizations as far as the source is mentioned.
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tie@tie-brasil.org
www.tie-brasil.org
Ilustration and design: Binho
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