Drum-Buffer-Rope is a production theory derived by Dr. Eli Goldratt in his book, The Goal. In it, he advocates production according to the pace set by a single machine (the drum) with linked production (the rope). He also promotes keeping a buffer in front of the machine that acts as Read more…
People should not be standing watching machines or pulling levers. They are far more intelligent than that. Give them jobs that use that intelligence and sever their ties to machines. Focusing on this premise, that workers are more than just machines, shows great respect for people, one of the central Read more…
Production processes require assets to run them. You generally have choices. You can use a big machine that costs a lot of money but has tremendous functionality and flexibility. These machines, because of their cost, end up being used in several processes or for several products to defray the cost. Read more…
A run chart is a tool used to show a change in a value over a period of time. It depicts a time-ordered series of data plots with time on the X-axis (horizontal) and the value of the data on the Y-axis (vertical). Run charts are particularly powerful because they Read more…
A flowchart is a visual representation of the progression of an entity (product, person, information, etc.) through a process. A flowchart is a visual representation of the progression of an entity (product, person, information, etc.) through a process. Flow charts have two main uses. Process flow charts are used for Read more…
Daily management is a structured approach to running an operation. In a nutshell, daily management is the constant application of the PDCA cycle to a production process. Daily management consists of: Planning: Daily management requires an understanding of what demand will be, and of the capabilities of the organization. It Read more…
A kaizen event is a discrete continuous improvement project with a defined start and end point, usually done in a single week. A typical kaizen event consists of a day of training, a day of process walking and analyzing the information gathered, followed by two days of improvement activity. The Read more…
Flow production is one of many names used to describe a system of production that predominantly follows Lean principles. It is recognizable by single units of work moving directly from one process to the next without stopping in queues. That state of streamlined motion is known as flow, and is Read more…
What is A3 Thinking? A3 thinking is a philosophical approach to problem solving that centers on a well-communicated team approach to using the PDCA cycle. The tool used to apply this way of thinking is known as the A3 report. Download our Free A3 Report Template A3 Thinking Background Whether Read more…
A line stop is exactly what it sounds like. A team member presses a button that prevents an assembly line from advancing. This typically happens for one of two main reasons. Someone discovered a quality issue. Someone was not finished with their work. Other reasons might include maintenance problems, misplaced Read more…
Takt time is the required pace of production to meet customer demand. It is calculated by dividing the working time available, generally for that shift, by the customer demand during that time period. Despite its apparent simplicity, it is one of the most misunderstood terms in continuous improvement. It is Read more…
CLOSED MITT is an acronym used to categorize waste. It expands on the traditional 7 Wastes that are frequently used in Lean efforts. The origin of CLOSED MITT is unknown, but it has grown in use over the years. Since its early days, it has come into fairly common mention Read more…