Batch and Queue

In traditional manufacturing, there is a tendency to run large lots, or batches. This occurs for a variety of reasons—large distances between processes, long setup times, or simply poor processes. When the batch is transferred to the downstream process, it sits in line. That is the ‘queuing’ part of batch Read more…

Ohno, Taiichi

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.

Lean Tools

Lean tools are the individual components of a Lean system. The most common Lean tools are: 5S Countermeasures Jidoka Kaizen Kanban Pareto (80/20) charts Process flow charts Poka yoke Pull /Just In Time Manufacturing Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) Standard Work Total Productive Maintenance Value stream maps Visual controls Read more…

TPS

TPS is the acronym for the Toyota Production System. TPS is more of a business philosophy than a production system, though. It focuses on manufacturing and logistics but doesn’t neglect the human aspect of production. TPS was founded in large part by Taiichi Ohno. TPS can trace its origins back Read more…