One-of-a-Kind Production

Despite the numerous competitive advantages of one-of-a-kind production (OKP), the low efficiency and high costs associated with OKP companies threaten to push their business opportunities into the hands of cheaper overseas suppliers.

One-of-a-Kind Production introduces a novel strategy and technology to help OKP companies to efficiently mass-produce customized products. In One-of-a-Kind Production, case studies from OKP companies are used to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the OKP strategy and technology. These case studies include:

• a structural steel construction company,
• a manufacturer of specifically ordered compressors and refrigeration systems,
• a customized high pressure vessel manufacturing company, and
• a custom window and door manufacturer.

To help readers understand OKP strategy and technology, the authors offer a year’s free access to the OKP Management and Control Software System. This system is based on a new integrated production control and management concept, namely product production structure. It is a useful tool – and One-of-a-Kind Production is a valuable guide – for production engineers and managerial staff in manufacturing companies, as well as for university researchers and graduate students.

Yiliu Tu received a BSc in Electronic Engineering and an MSc in Mechanical Engineering, both from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in the People’s Republic of China, and a PhD from Aalborg University (AAU) in Denmark. He worked in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at HUST, the Department of Production at AAU, the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management at City University of Hong Kong, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Canterbury (New Zealand). He is now a tenured full professor at the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada, and Zi Jin Scholar Chair Professor at the School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, P.R. China.

His present research interests are one-of-a-kind production (OKP) management and control, integrated supply chain management and control, ultra-fast laser micromachining, modeling and simulation of networked critical infrastructure, and complex product quality control methods. He has published numerous research papers in international academic journals and conference proceedings. He is a senior member of Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and a professional engineer of The Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) of Canada.
 
Paul Dean received a BSc in Physics and an MSc in Information Technology both from the University of Liverpool, UK, and a PhD from the University of Calgary, Canada. His current research interests are one-of-a-kind production and LEAN manufacturing.  He has 40 years experience as a software engineer and application designer. He worked for Gienow Windows and Doors Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, that is a typical OKP company and mass produces one-of-kind windows and doors. During this time he was the chief architect of a custom manufacturing system. He retired from the position of VP of Information Technology in Gienow and he is now running his own research company CIM Systems Ltd. He has published a number of research papers in international academic journals and has contributed a chapter to a Springer book. He is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the Project Management Institute (PMI).