Reliability is the ability of a process, machine, or measurement system to perform as intended over time. There is an underlying assumption that at one point, the ability to provide good results existed. The most common cause of a drop in reliability is the degradation of equipment. As machines wear Read more…
Baselines are essential to improvements. They are the starting point for a process to be changed or are reference points for ongoing processes. Baselines can be used in two main ways. First, they can be used to establish current conditions prior to a project. This is essential to knowing if Read more…
ABC inventory is a method of grouping materials based on cost and usage to assign them different inventory management processes. Typically, the segmentation is done by calculating out the annual usage of the parts and labeling the top 70% of them (by total cost) as ‘A’ parts, the next 25% Read more…
A baseline metric is a snapshot of the state of a process or operation prior to making improvements. In effect, it is the “before” measures of a process. It is important to know baseline metrics prior to making any changes. Without a clear understanding of your initial capabilities, you’ll be Read more…
An artisan process is one that relies on the skills of workers over strong processes. In the past, artisans were held in extremely high regard. This was primarily due, though, to the lack of a reasonable alternative to obtain high quality goods. Modern production processes and the sophistication of products, Read more…
Little’s Law is a basic mathematics equation for calculating lead time. In the layman’s version, it says: Lead time = Number of units in WIP / Average Production Rate Let’s say you had 34 items in work-in-process, and you produce 10 per day. That means that it will take any Read more…
FISH, or “First In, Still Here” is a tongue-in-cheek term for excessive inventory. It is a play on the terms FIFO (first in, first out) and LIFO (last in, first out).
A Master Black Belt is an individual who has been certified to train other black belts. Black belts are the trainers and continuous improvement team coaches for a company. Having a Master Black Belt is a credential. It is not a job title. Many who attain that level do, however, Read more…
A Green Belt is a certification that indicates a person is qualified to lead a Six Sigma project or, less frequently, a kaizen team in Lean. The Belt System Ranks Yellow Belt: Team Participant Green Belt: Team Leader Black Belt: Trainer Master Black Belt: Trains black belts; leads improvement effort Read more…
A “Yellow Belt” designates that a person has been trained to participate in a Six Sigma project. In some rare instances, you may also see the yellow belt used in the Lean community. About the Lean/Six Sigma Belt System Note that there is not a formal governing body that manages Read more…
A production buffer is a type of inventory allocated specifically as a hedge against variation. The root cause of the unpredictability may be due to the normal variation of a process, or any of a variety of types of special cause variation. The latter causes include things like supplier unreliability, Read more…
Most processes change over time. A car will age, and as it undergoes normal wear and tear, gas mileage will worsen. It won’t be an overnight change, but it will trend downward. This is drift. Processes, with no visible changes, often slowly perform differently. A fixture may loosen up over Read more…