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Manufacturing Site Operating System - MSOS
The Manufacturing Site Operating System is an organizational model designed to help manufacturers improve operation effectiveness.

The model was created in 2007, and is a synthesis of teachings from some the world's preeminent manufacturing companies, notably Toyota, Procter & Gamble and Pepsi/Frito-Lay.

Overview
MSOS is made up of four sub-systems, entitled 'Shop Floor Control', 'Employee Ownership', 'Continuous Improvement', and 'Strategy Deployment'.

The basic premise of MSOS is that these four sub-systems are critical, fundamental elements for success in any business operation.

The four fundamental elements are defined as follows:

Shop Floor Control - There is a current accepted (or default) process for how products are created in any manufacturing organization. Shop Floor Control, refers to the importance of following this current accepted practice in a disciplined manner (the exact approach is taken each and every time any given product is produced).

Excellence in this area will tend to stabilize operation performance. However if the current processes/practices are not optimal, the level of performance although stable and predictable may not meet the base level required for business success in the current operating environment.

Continuous Improvement - As the term implies, Continuous Improvement refers to continually changing the production process in order to improve performance output. Changes might be applied to any aspect of what is currently required to create a product. For simplicity, these 'aspects' can be categorized as 'people', 'process' or 'structural' elements of the current design.

Excellence in this are will tend to result in the continuous improvement of performance output. If continuous improvement is done without increased attention to Shop Floor Control, then the improvement observed may be overshadowed by a general instability in organization performance.

Employee Ownership - This element refers to engaging the organization's employees in the process of change. Ownership in this context, refers to defining specific, structured responsibilities to a portion of the organization's personnel. Designated individuals within the manufacturing organization become stewards of the continually improving production model.

Excellence in this area will tend to increase the likelihood that changes to design will be maintained. This means that the tendency for performance to drop to prior levels ('back-sliding') is minimized or eliminated.

Strategy Deployment - This sub-system of MSOS refers to the process which ensures the organization is moving in the right direction. If an organization is running like a 'finely-tuned' sports car but is creating products or performance that doesn't match the requirements of the Board of Directors, it is all for naught.

Excellence in this area means that (at all levels) the organization's strategies, plans, goals and measures reflect the business environment and the needs of organization stakeholders.

Origins
Shop Floor Control - The term Shop Floor Control has been used in a variety of contexts. Common uses refer to; Software, which is used to help organize a manufacturers day-to-day production activities (software example)or books, which refer to the 'right way' to perform daily activities such as production planning and material resource planning (example book).

The context for Shop Floor Control in the case of MSOS is more generic in nature. It does not refer to specific methods for how to schedule or how to forecast. Shop floor control refers to the need for a system to make sure that whatever the right way is deemed to be, there is a system to ensure that people are following that approach. The likely origin of this model is not clear, but is best illustrated by the Daily Management System which was introduced to N.A. manufacturing (by P&G and others) in the early 1990's.Consulting Firm example of Daily Management