| Lean Manufacturing Principles | | | | effectiveness), line balancing, standardized |
| Lean manufacturing is one of the most widely | | | | operations, |
| utilized business improvement methodologies. | | | | 7 wastes (muda), error proofing, kaizen, and root |
| There are hundreds of consultants and schools | | | | cause problem solving. |
| teaching lean manufacturing principles. | | | | There are a few tools that can and should be |
| The problem with many courses teaching lean | | | | used with any lean manufacturing initiative. The 5S |
| manufacturing is the lack of real world experience | | | | tool is a powerful workplace organization tool. This |
| of the instructor. Many have limited experience | | | | tool makes sense in any business. It would be |
| applying the principles, nor the interpersonal skills | | | | hard to find an organization where order and |
| to influence change. | | | | organization didn’t make sense. |
| Lean manufacturing is not nearly as structured as | | | | Root cause problem solving tools should be used |
| six sigma or other continuous improvement | | | | in every lean manufacturing implementation. These |
| initiatives. There is no standard approach to | | | | tools vary based on the problem. Some of the |
| implementation or third party certifying body such | | | | more common are Cause and Effects Analysis, 5 |
| as ISO. | | | | Why Analysis, 8D method, CT trees, Process |
| Lean manufacturing consists of many different | | | | Mapping, and affinity diagrams. |
| “tools”. The best courses teach the lean | | | | Value Stream Mapping is another useful tool to |
| manufacturing principles as well as how and when | | | | determine where value is added and the areas of |
| to use the tools. | | | | non-value added (muda). The value stream map |
| Some companies have heard that lean | | | | depicts the flow of product and information on |
| manufacturing implementation will reduce their | | | | paper. Information such as inventory, distance, |
| waste and costs, and decide to just start | | | | and bottlenecks are highlighted. Once the value |
| implementing. They often start using one tool at a | | | | stream map is completed, opportunities for |
| time until the boss declares it’s done. | | | | improvement become obvious. |
| Worse yet, some companies find a consultant | | | | Tools such as line balancing, SMED, takt time, and |
| that knows 5S and little else. When the consultant | | | | OEE should be used to solve specific business |
| leaves, the clean and organized business | | | | opportunities. For example, SMED (single minute |
| eventually realizes they are clean, organized, and | | | | exchange of die) is a tool that is used to reduce |
| still full of waste. | | | | machinery or process setup times. This tool is a |
| The correct approach to implementing lean | | | | lot more useful in businesses that run smaller |
| manufacturing begins with an analysis of the | | | | order quantities and changeover often. OEE is an |
| businesses needs, opportunities, and challenges. | | | | excellent tool to determine why a machine or |
| Once these opportunities are identified, the tools | | | | process is not producing at world class levels. |
| are used which will solve the issues. These tools | | | | Once the reasons (opportunities) are known, they |
| might be lean manufacturing or six sigma tools. It | | | | can be improved. |
| simply wouldn’t be prudent to limit the | | | | Kaizen (Japanese word meaning continuous |
| success of a lean initiative to exclude any tool if it | | | | improvement) is a very powerful improvement |
| was known to solve the problem at hand. | | | | tool. It is basically a rapid (3-5 days) improvement |
| In other words, the problems identify the tools | | | | method utilizing a cross-functional team to solve a |
| rather than the tools being force into the | | | | business problem. A kaizen event team will use |
| organization. | | | | many other lean tools to help solve the problem. |
| Some of the lean manufacturing tools are 5S | | | | Utilize lean manufacturing principles to identify and |
| (Sort-Set in Order-Shine-Standardize-Sustain), | | | | solve business issues and the financial impact will |
| value stream mapping, kanban, takt time, | | | | justify their use. If the tools are made to |
| continuous flow, cellular manufacturing, TPM (total | | | | “fit” the organization, the result will be |
| productive maintenance), SMED (single minute | | | | chaos, disruption, low morale, and financial loss. |
| exchange of die), OEE (overall equipment | | | | |