Martin Braun Consulting Lean Manufacturing - Contents
Introduction to Lean manufacturing
Simply put Lean manufacturing is an approach to manufacturing aiming at eliminating or reducing activities which do not add value from the customer’s point of view.
Benefits of Lean manufacturing
The benefits of Lean manufacturing for the company are:
- Increase in customer satisfaction throughreduced lead time.
- Increase in stock turns because of reduced WIP.
- Increase in quality owing to a "right first time" policy.
- Increase in flexibility via a well trained and motivated workforce.
The benefits of Lean manufacturing for the workforce are:
- Improved working conditions.
- Improved work satisfaction through involvement.
- Improved job security because of better competitiveness.
Background to Lean manufacturing
Some of the ideas of Lean manufacturing go back a long time. When Henry Ford started to build his famous Ford Model T at the beginning of the 20th century, he incorporated the ideas of standardised parts and assembly lines in his production system, principles which can still be found in Lean manufacturing. Another influential figure in the development of Lean manufacturing was Dr Deming, an American professor and consultant. He taught Japanese top management how to improve design, product quality, testing and sales. Taiichi Ohno at Toyota is widely credited with building on these and similar principles to develop the Toyota Production System which is better known today as Lean production.
Although Lean manufacturing uses some aspects of mass production it rejects others. Both mass production and Lean manufacturing break down the manufacturing process into individual tasks. In mass production they can be very small and prescribed by someone who is not working on the job. Lean manufacturing acknowledges the experience of the operator who is actually doing the task by asking him to document the best way of performing his task in a standard operation. He is also trained in the tasks coming immediately before and after his so that he is flexible enough to be able to move to where the need is greater.
With the help of operators the whole production is streamlined to achieve minimum WIP, minimum lead time as well as maximum quality and flexibility. The supervisor becomes the team leader, i.e. going from telling the operators what to do, to asking them how he can support them. This means that the operators have to be properly trained and given plenty of information in order to make the right decisions.
Core themes of Lean manufacturing
The top priority of Lean manufacturing is the elimination of waste. Well-motivated teams and good communication support this aim. These pillars are based on the five principles of Lean manufacturing:
Seven types of waste
|
|
Some Lean manufacturing tools
- 5S: This is an abbreviation referring to five Japanese words that describe standardized workplace organisation. It has been translated into English also using five expressions starting with an ‘S’.
- Sorting out: This first step looks at all items at a work station and asks whether they are needed for day-to-day use or can be moved to a more appropriate location.
- Setting in order: Arranging the work station and its associated tools, equipment and inventory in the optimal location.
- Shining and Sweeping: Ensuring everything is in tip-top condition and ready to use.
- Standardising: The goal is to keep everything in “Chief Executive’s visit” state at all times. The idea being that it is easier to keep something going than starting it after it has fallen into disuse.
- Sustaining: The final step is to sustain the improvements - going through the first four steps on a continual basis to improve your work area and to further cut down on waste.
- Standard Operation: A standard operation uses the best method currently known of executing a specific task resulting in the right levels of quality, delivery and safety being consistently achieved.
- PFA (Process flow analysis): This is a mapping tool for analyzing and improving the process flows of materials and information.
- SMED (Single minute exchange of dies): This is often referred to as quick changeover (changeover means converting a manufacturing process from running the current product to running the next product). As with many other Lean manufacturing tools this was developed by Toyota with the aim of quickly exchanging the dies in stamping machines. The aim was to exchange dies within less then 10 minutes, hence the name 'single minute exchange of dies'.
- Kaizen: Continuous improvement
Why employ a consultant?
This is a fair question. Frequently consultants are employed because they:
- Provide theoretical knowledge
- Have practical experience
However, in Lean they have an additional function. They are facilitators, i.e.:
- They keep your eye on the next milestone; and
- Ensure that you take the necessary steps to reach it.
- Our aim is to help our clients to learn how to learn so that they become independent.
Courses
Here is a list of in-house courses that can be delivered individually or in any combination (with or without implementation support):
| Course | Description | Visits/days | Students | Fees |
| Workshop | Introducing Lean manufacturing in an interactive workshop, roughly following the above outline. | 1 | 5-10 | £750 |
| 5S | Workplace organisation (See 5S workbook). | 1 | 3-8 | £600 |
| PFA | Process flow analysis Mapping tool for analyzing and improving the process flows of materials and information. | 1 | 3-8 | £600 |
| Std Ops | Standard operations Learn how to document the best and safest method currently known. |
1 | 3-8 | £600 |
| Kaizen | Kaizen and 7 Tools Learn about the background of Kaizen and its importance. Understand how the PDCA cycle works and study tools to assist you to record quality related measurements. |
1 | 3-8 | £600 |
| SMED | Single minute exchange of die, or quick change over Learn about the background to SMED, its principles and how to apply them. |
1 | 3-8 | £600 |
| Cell | Cellular manufacturing Learn how to map out and analyse the current state. Develop a future state map and an action plan. Receive implementation support to put your action plan into practice. Assess future state and learn how 5S can help you to make continuous improvements. |
4 | 5-8 | £2400 |
| Full | Full Lean implementation package This is a bespoke package. The outline given here is an example which may be applicable to manufacturing organisation with up to 20 people. Preparatory visit, Lean manufacturing workshop (probably twice), PFA with flow action plan, 5S and probably standard operations. This package comes with full implementation support. |
(8) only indicative |
(up to 12) only indicative |
(£4800) only indicative |
Notes: Fees may change without prior notice. Implementation support only included where indicated, otherwise additional fees are required.
Register/information request for courses
Please contact us for more information.
Back to top
If you want to know more about Lean manufacturing or Lean enterprise and how it can help you, please call or e-mail us. Thank you!
Back to top