Just-in-case is a play on words of just-in-time manufacturing. Contingencies are one of the main reasons why people do many of the non-Lean activities that hurt an organization. Holding inventory just-in-case a shipment is late Batching some extra just-in-case there is a problem Buying an extra machine just-in-case it breaks 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…
When you hear the term ‘competition’, you mind likely immediately pictures two companies competing for market share. Google and Microsoft locked in an epic battle. Oil companies fighting over drilling rights. Car dealers offering ever-sweeter incentives. But that’s only part of the competition at work you are likely involved in. Read more…
Handoffs occur when work is passed from one person to another person. In most cases, a handoff entails reorienting the work and getting it ready to add value to it. Handoffs in manufacturing act a little like speed bumps. They create hiccups in the flow of work. When a handoff Read more…
I frequently like to unwind by playing some basketball at a local gym. Actually, to be a little more accurate, I play something that is vaguely recognizable as basketball. You’d think that with my years of experience at process improvement, I’d learn how to fix my jump shot. The other Read more…
Machine cycle time is the time a machine actually requires to produce one unit of output. Machine cycle time has three basic components. It has the time to load the machine, the actual machining or machine time, and the unloading time. Machine cycle time seems like a simple concept, but Read more…
Line balancing is the act of balancing the cycle times of the workers on a production line to the takt time. When everyone has a cycle time that matches the takt time, work flows efficiently. If a line is not balanced, it either has waiting waste where team members are Read more…
Cycle time reduction is the strategy of lowering the time it takes to perform a process in order to improve productivity. In addition, cycle time reduction often improves quality. When a cycle time is too close to the takt time, there is little margin for error. If a process is Read more…
Seasonality is the regular pattern of peaks and valleys related to the time of year. Seasonality may be due to weather. Umbrellas, for example, sell best in rainy seasons; skis sell best in the winter. Seasonality may also be due to recurring annual events and holidays. Christmas means toy sales Read more…
A night shift is just what it sounds like. It is the second (or third) shift at a facility after the normal day shift ends. A night shift usually exists for one of two reasons. In production environments, a night shift adds capacity without needing to buy extra equipment. This Read more…
Work-in-process (sometimes written as work-in-process and sometimes called work in progress) is a product or service that is partially completed. These goods have had something done to them, so are no longer considered raw materials or component parts. Lean attempts to minimize the amount of work in process to keep Read more…
Transportation waste is the unnecessary movement of parts, double handling of materials, or shuffling of inventory to get access to the right components. Transportation waste is one of the seven wastes that Taiichi Ohno identified as barriers to flow. It is obvious why moving parts further than necessary is wasteful. Read more…