Lesson 1:

Why Lean?

• Be customer focused: Be on-time, responsive, flexible, and fast.

• Simplify and standardize workflows: Mimic continuous flow, minimize WIP, use visible measures.

• Manage capacity: Increase process uptime, reduce set-up times, find “lost” capacity.

• Eliminate waste: Identify non-value adding activities, then modify, combine, or eliminate those tasks.

• JIT: Not too early and never late; not just-in-case inventory but just-in time production and delivery; products must always be made right the first time; equipment must always work when needed.

Lesson 2:

Lean Terminology

• Terms

• Tools

• Techniques

Lesson 3:

Eliminate Waste with Lean

• Match lot sizes to customer demands: Use kanbans; end WIP.

• Use pull scheduling instead of push scheduling.

• Schedule to the rate-determining step (the bottleneck., then debottleneck process lines.

• Facilitate fast feedback: Arrange sequential operations next to each other ensures fast feedback from internal customer operation to internal supper operation if something in-process is not right.

Lesson 4:

Components of Lean

• Overview of the 8 Components of Lean: Value Stream Mapping, Workplace Organization, Predictability & Consistency, Set-up Reduction, TPM, Visual Factory, Support Processes, & Continuous Improvement.

Lesson 5:

Value Stream Analysis

• Mapping the process from incoming order to outgoing product: Define process goals, create the current state map, & establish process metrics.

• Using the current state map to identify potential improvements, conceive the future state.

Lesson 6:

Lean Thinking

• Eliminating waste is not limited to manufacturing; the same techniques apply to the office, sales, finance, maintenance, and even R&D processes and procedures.

• Lean & Six Sigma are complementary

Lean Challenge

• An assessment of the learner’s progress in this unit.

Lesson 1:

Value Stream Mapping

• Identify process goals.

• Collect & analyze process data.

• Create a macro-facility workflow to determine how to minimize high volume travel distances.

• Conduct a micro-process workflow to apply cellular concepts, identify and remove bottlenecks, & move to pull manufacturing with kanbans.

Lesson 2:

Workplace Organization

• Apply the 5S's: Sort (clearing the work area), Set in Order (designating locations), Shine (cleanliness and workplace appearance), Standardize (everyone doing things the same way), &  Sustain (ingraining it in the culture).

Lesson 3:

Predictability & Consistency

• Use DFA/DFM to design quality in.

• Conduct GR&Rs to ensure reliable measurement systems are in place.

• Employ SPC to help ensure processes are predictable & stable.

• Reduce variation,&  improve process capability with DOE.

• Eliminate the root cause of defects using problem-solving and mistake-proofing.

• Move to Six Sigma quality.

Lesson 4:

Set-up Reduction

• Apply SMED concepts.

• Separate external tasks (external to the process) from internal tasks.

Lesson 5:

TPM

• TPM versus PM

• Develop operator involvement in the equipment and begin predictive maintenance practices.

Lesson 6:

Visual Factory

• Use status display of performance for dashboard or balanced measures and COQ results.

• Visual controls such as sensory alerts indicate if something is out of place.

• Marking on the floor, kanbans, andons, & panel-alarms all help build a visual control infrastructure.

Lesson 7:

Support Processes

• Lean techniques require changes in Purchasing, Scheduling, Warehousing/Shipping, & Accounting practices.

Lesson 8:

Continuous Improvement

• Fight NIH (not-invented-here) attitudes and leveraging successes.

• Use kaizen events for rapid, targeted improvements to achieve the future state.

• Use a standardized Problem-Solving Model (e.g. DMAIC or 8-D).

• Begin as employee idea system.

Lean Challenge

• An assessment of the learner’s progress in this unit.

Lesson 1:

Lean Starts with People

• Communicate the why, what, how, & who.

• Provide education in the concepts.

• Train employees in tools & techniques as needed to achieve a flexible workforce.

Lesson 2:

Data Drives Lean

• Focus efforts on projects that lead to tangible saving.

• Calculation techniques to generate data include: Time studies, equipment loading, TAKT time, staffing requirements, process yields, & COQ.

• Sample Worksheets covered  include: Lean Project Summary; Cell Target Worksheet; Data Collection Form for Basic Equipment and Utility Parameters; Value-adding Analysis Worksheet; Process Change-Over/Setup Worksheet; Set-Up Reduction Worksheet; Cubic Feet Analysis Worksheet; & Lot Size Worksheet

Lesson 3:

Layout Options

• Improved layout are about moving cubic feet (not numbers of items), eliminating crossover points, arranging the process in the natural flow order; linking processes to minimize time and distance; moving equipment together to simulate a continuous process flow; & putting internal customers and suppliers next to each other

• Be careful to identify anchors or monuments; do not move them.

• Typical layout options are explored.

Lesson 4:

Lean Inventory Practices

• Minimize trips to and from the warehouse by designing the warehouse to work for you.

• Use ABC inventory categories to prioritize inventory needs and storage locations.

Lesson 5:

Roadmap for Lean

• Start with the people issues

• Focus on workplace organization (the 5S’s), then, use value stream analysis and process workflow analysis to establish effective layouts. 

• Where to focus next depends on specific needs.

• Use targeted Kaizen events to speed changes.

• Do not overlook the need to modify support processes (especially scheduling and purchasing)

Lesson 6:

Pitfalls with Lean

• Not documenting the financial impact/savings.

• Lack of commitment from leadership.

• Using traditional purchasing practices.

• Not changing scheduling techniques.

• Failure to address workforce issues.

• Not really mistake-proofing the root cause.

• Thinking Lean is just for manufacturing.

• Not using beneficial technology.

• Not leveraging successes.

• Getting too lean.

• Failing to hold the gains.

Lean Challenge

• An assessment of the learner’s progress in this unit.