Lean Manufacturing Explained

Pure and simple, lean is reducing the time from customer order to manufacturing and delivering products by eliminating nonvalue added waste in the production stream. The ideal of a lean system is a one-piece flow. A lean manufacturer is continuously improving in the direction of that ideal lean manufacturing principle.

Lean Tools Inlcude:

Kaizen Methodology- A Japanese philosophy of continuous quality improvement

Value Stream Mapping- to design inventory systems for continuous flow

Layout Diagram- to create floor plans, Spaghetti Diagrams, and easy-to-understand work instructions

Standard Work Analysis Worksheet- concise work instructions

Standard Work Instructions & Chart- to visually depict time for a repetitive process

Staff Load Balancing- to determine the optimal staff size, and balance the work load

Machine Load Balancing- to ensure that equipment is capable of meeting Takt Time

Time Observation Worksheet- to objectively study and time a process

Standard Work Audit- to ensure that work is actually being done as per work instructions

Process Design Objectives- to establish process design objectives and compare to actual results

Product Family Matrix- to identify product families - (products and services sharing similar processes)

5S Evaluation Scorecard- 5S are five terms beginning with "S" utilized to create a workplace suited for visual control and lean production. 1)Sort means to separate needed tools, parts, and instructions from unneeded materials and to remove the latter. 2)Simplify means to neatly arrange and identify parts and tools for ease of use. 3)Scrub means to conduct a cleanup campaign. 4)Standardize means to conduct Sort, Simplify, and Scrub at frequent, indeed daily, intervals to maintain a workplace in perfect condition. 5)Sustain means to form the habit of always following the first four Ss.