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1) Lean Transformations

2) Targeted Improvements

3) Workshops

4) Lean Certifications

 

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Our Services for details.


Results


- 75% Wait Time Reduction

- 625% Cycle Time Reduced

- 37% Inventory Reduction

- 50% Work Space Increase

 

See Success Stories for details. 


More About Lean


Learn more about Lean Manufacturing and the difference between traditional and lean methods:

 

1) Lean Defined

2) Lean Tools

3) Lean versus Traditional

 

To learn more see

Lean Manufacturing


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Lean Manufacturing

 

What is Lean Manufacturing?  While there are various definitions, most very similar, I use the following  definition when training on lean manufacturing:

 

Lean Manufacturing is an enterprise-wide strategy for achieving excellence:

- by creating value (from the customer's perspective)

- by creating a culture of continuous performance improvement and working to eliminate ALL waste of resources and time

- by creating high quality, stable processes and emphasizing respect for people throughout the organization.

 

Lean is a continuous process improvement methodology consisting of five primary principles:

 

1. Value (from the customer's perspective)

2. Value Stream (map the steps in the value stream)

3. Flow (create a smooth flow)

4. Pull (the right amount pulled at the right time, no more, no less)

5. Perfection (elimination of all waste in the value stream)

 

Learn more about the five principles of lean manufacturing from my short instructional video.

Video: The Five Principles of Lean

 

Lean Manufacturing or Lean Methodologies?

 

Lean as we know it today was developed from the auto giant Toyota; more specifically, the Toyota Production System (TPS).  Lean is now being successfully applied in all types of service related industries, saving companies hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars each year. 

 

Therefore, in today's environment, I believe the term Lean Manufacturing would be more appropriately referred to as Lean Philosophies or Lean Methodologies.

 

Difference Between Traditional and Lean Manufacturing

 

I am occasionally asked, "What is the difference between traditional manufacturing versus lean manufacturing."  The overarching "big picture" difference between traditional manufacturing and lean manufacturing involves a totally different mindset.

 

To be more specific I've put together a short list below, in no particular order, of what I see as some of the important differences between lean and the traditional approach.  These are generalizations, but based on my experience I've found these generalizations to be true 100% of the time.

 

Traditional: Production driven by a sales forecast (Push).

Lean: Production is driven by customer demand; items are only produced when an order is placed (Pull - one of the 5 lean principles).

 

Traditional: Problems are viewed as just that, problems.

Lean: Problems are viewed as opportunities for improvement often through root cause analysis.

 

Traditional: Work in process (WIP) is viewed as a normal part of operations.

Lean: WIP is a sign that a process needs to improved and is considered a type of waste that should be reduced or eliminated (the same is true for inventory).

 

Traditional: Improve system (disregarding all of the types of waste in the process).

Lean: Improve system by 1) Eliminating waste and 2) Improving current processes.

 

Traditional: Management is the primary driver of change.

Lean: Everyone is empowered, trained in the principles of lean and encouraged to look for ways to improve processes.

 

Traditional: If a process is working (if it ain't broke) don't fix it.

Lean: Always look for ways to improve processes.

 

Traditional: Standardized work (people performing the same task the same way) only exists in documents like SOPs, rarely in reality.

Lean: Everyone performs the same task the exact same way until a better way is discovered; then everyone performs the task the new and improved way. 

 

Traditional: Focuses on training and relies on people to not make mistakes.

Lean: Focuses on building processes that are error proofed (a person cannot make a mistake or it would be difficult to do so).

 

Traditional: Systems thinking (views the organization as a whole), often ignoring or unable to see the enormous opportunities for improvement. 

Lean: Views the organization as a series of interrelated processes that can and should be improved.

 

Final Thought: Everything Functions Through Processes (A Part of Lean Thinking)

 

As lean professionals we see the world as a series of processes.  Anytime you have something with a defined beginning and ending, you have a process that could and should be improved. This is one of the primary reasons Lean has been successfully applied in so many different types of industries; every industry has processes.

 

For a non-manufacturing example let's consider routine doctor's appointments. The process could START when the computer indicates a patient is scheduled for a routine appointment. It could END when that particular patient completed the routine appointment. 

 

In this example we would analyze all of the steps from start to end with a team of local experts. What we'd undoubtedly find is a series of wasted steps, wasted time, reworks, non-standardized work, poor process flow, etc. 

 

Another example could be an auto service center.  The START could be when a customer signs in at the counter, and END when the customer's car has been fixed and paid for.  Again, like the previous example, if we analyzed this process we'd undoubtedly find many areas for improvement.  These improvements equates to increased efficiencies that have a direct impact on the bottom-line.

 

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