A big part of getting changeover time reduced to the point where it is a single-minute exchange of die (SMED), is figuring out how to do it with less motion. One-touch exchange of dies is an offshoot of SMED but is far more aggressive in what it advocates. Where SMED Read more…
The common interpretation of Occam’s Razor is that when all other things are equal, the simplest solution is probably right. More accurately, but in less common use, Occam’s Razor says that one should choose the hypothesis that makes the fewest new assumptions. In either case, Occam’s Razor is a tool Read more…
Being able to recognize objective vs. subjective information is an important skill for individuals in Lean companies. Objective vs. Subjective Definitions Objective: Information or data that is based in fact. Often numerical. Can be verified by an independent third party. Example: Math tests. Subjective: Information or opinions that are open Read more…
One-piece flow is the method of production in which operators or machines work on single units and pass them along to the next process when requested. The most common example of one-piece flow is the assembly line. An operator at each station works on a unit. All of this work-in Read more…
Many office work areas don’t control the flow of work onto people’s desks. As a result, individuals may face a small pile of work on one day, and a large pile of work the next. Further complicating the problem, there is frequently no formal standardization of their processes. This makes Read more…
The Office Process Summary Sheet provides an at-a-glance view of the gains an improvement team has made in a kaizen event. Get Our Office Process Summary Sheet for FREE The Office Process Summary Sheet has some of the most common measures of improvement already filled in, and also provides a Read more…
The Process Recording Sheet is primarily used to document steps in an office environment during a process walk. Because of the non-linear flow in an office, longer cycle times, computer processes that are hard to monitor, and the frequency with which office workers change tasks, a Time Observation Sheet is Read more…
The Office Process Questionnaire is a tool to help gather information from office workers during the process walk of a kaizen event. Get Our Office Process Questionnaire for FREE It has a series of standard questions, as well as space to record questions specific to the process under review. Adding Read more…
Managing workload in an office setting can be a challenge. Use the Office Process Capacity Form to determine whether a process is sufficiently staffed to meet demand. This form takes the FTE (full time equivalent) load into account, as many office workers have multiple roles. Get Our Office Process Capacity Read more…
Taiichi Ohno (February 29, 1912-May 28,1990) is considered by many to be the father of the Toyota Production System. He eventually rose to the rank of executive vice president in the company.
While Ohno had many innovative ideas and published several landmark books (see them and other books about him here), perhaps his biggest creative leap was integrating the American supermarket system of resupply into the automotive industry. He was able to lay the foundation for kanban systems, pull, and one-piece flow by changing the way components were supplied to production processes.
The Lean office is the result of the progression of Lean from the shop floor to the office environment. It was logical and inevitable that continuous improvement would move from the assembly line to create the Lean office. Why? A significant portion of a manufacturing company costs are administrative. And, Read more…
Optimization is the act of making a system as effective as possible by adjusting the controllable variables. In a nutshell, optimization means figuring out where to set all the controls to make the company, system, process, or other aspect of your life do what you want it to do. “Effective” Read more…