Facts and data are the supporting evidence for making decisions. Gathering facts and data is a key part of any problem-solving process, but it becomes particularly important in Lean. Making frequent changes, as companies do when they create a continuous improvement culture, also increases the number of opportunities to make Read more…
Follow-up is the act of making sure that… something that was supposed to be done was, in fact, done, or something that was done is working as planned In short, follow-up is confirming that things are going as expected. Unlike an audit, which is a broader check, a follow-up is Read more…
A factory is a discrete building or group of buildings that produces a product or product line. The first image that comes to mind with the term factory is often a car manufacturing facility, like those run by Toyota, a company well-known for its Lean manufacturing. In reality, a factory Read more…
Fabrication is the act of taking raw stock material and turning it into a part for use in an assembly process. There are many different types of fabrication processes. The most common are Cutting Folding Machining Punching Shearing Stamping Welding Additive Manufacturing Watch Our Fabrication Video Let’s look at the Read more…
A manufacturing fixture holds parts during the manufacturing process. Fixtures come in a wide range of types. In their simplest form, they may be a series of pins sticking up from a flat surface to keep a part from sliding. They can also be much more complicated, with a series Read more…
The people actually doing a process a new way are at the frontline of change. They are the ones who must enforce new processes with internal customers, manage changes with suppliers, or work with customers to educate them about the new and improved methods. Working at the frontline of change Read more…
The dictionary definition of facilitation is to make something easier. In this broad definition, facilitation covers a lot of ground. But in the continuous improvement definition, facilitation has a few specific characteristics. Facilitation is generally done for groups, not for individuals. Facilitation is most common for discrete projects. You might Read more…
Flat surfaces are bad for work areas. They collect dirt, dust, debris, etc. They don’t support processes. People use them for storage. Work hard to eliminate flat surfaces in work areas. Flat surfaces collect debris. They collect dust. They collect extra parts, extra tools, extra equipment, extra Work-In-Process (WIP). If Read more…
Making operations flow is the ultimate goal of Lean. When all the waste is reduced, every process is improved, and the excess inventory is eliminated, you are left with work that effortlessly glides through operations. Flow is often talked about reverently. The senseis I worked with from a premiere Japanese Read more…
Process flexibility applies both to the ability to rapidly change model mix as well as to change layouts of your facility. As continuous improvement speeds up its pace, you will find that your production areas enter a state of constant flux. Build process flexibility into your workstations. Suspend power and Read more…
Fatigue is the physical and mental state of tiredness that results in diminished capacity to perform a task or function. Because it increases the likelihood of errors, quality problems, and rework, employee fatigue is an often unrecognized form of waste that can impact the safety of the workplace. Lean, if Read more…
Frustration is the feeling of anxiety or dissatisfaction that results from the gap between expectations and reality. Frustration happens when problems are unsolved and when things don’t go according to plan. Lean depends heavily on employee engagement and job satisfaction to work at its best. Frustration reduces job satisfaction, thereby Read more…