A value stream is the series of activities that take a product from the supplier to the customer (for a physical product), or from the customer request to filling that need (for a service or informational product). It includes all the value-adding processes that the company performs in the Lean Read more…
Level loading, also known as heijunka, is the practice of using demand estimates to establish an average production level. By smoothing the demand, Lean companies can standardize their processes better, and can match their capacity to the current needs of the customer. Level loading on a mixed-model production line balances Read more…
Job rotation is an important concept in Lean. Simply put, it is the act of periodically moving people around to different tasks, accounts, or workstations. The rotation may be on a set schedule, or on an ad hoc basis. Cross-training is a prerequisite for successful job rotation. Job rotation is Read more…
Cross-training employees is exactly what it sounds like—multiple people trained on each job, and each person trained on multiple jobs. Cross-training employees provides flexibility. It allows leaders to shift people around to cover for breaks, vacations, and illnesses. It also allows leaders to adjust staffing when there are shifts in Read more…
Airports and government agencies give such great opportunities for Lean blog articles. Despite the abundance of topics where I could point out problems, I have to say there are lots of positive changes I see in the face of challenging regulations and stressed customers. For example, story after story comes Read more…
Rework is the act of correcting a defect. Rework is obviously waste, and can be avoided by eliminating the root cause of the problem. The further downstream rework is done from where the error originally occurred, the more the problem costs to correct. Rework is most commonly initiated after an Read more…
Call centers are simply clusters of people answering phones for a particular purpose. It might be to provide information, as in a hotline for a recall. It could be for placing orders, for technical support, or for customer service. Call centers can be inbound, where customers are calling in, or Read more…
Fabrication is the act of taking raw stock material and turning it into a part for use in an assembly process. There are many different types of fabrication processes. The most common are Cutting Folding Machining Punching Shearing Stamping Welding Additive Manufacturing Watch Our Fabrication Video Let’s look at the Read more…
A gauge is a measuring device. A gauge can be as simple as a piece of string cut to a specific dimension or a cutout of an animated character with an outstretched arm and the caption, “You must be this tall to ride this attraction.” On the other end of Read more…
Sensors are mechanical devices that are sensitive to their environment, and that communicate information about what they detect. Sensors can detect pressure, temperature, speed, and a host of other things. Sensors are commonly linked to either an alarm of some sort (a buzzer when a seat belt is not fastened), Read more…
When Lean starts in an organization, it is normally emphasized in production areas, typically the shop floor and then customer-facing administrative areas. As those areas improve, the form and level of help they receive from the supporting functions can lag. The Lean organizations can feel trapped. Unlike the relationship with Read more…
Conventional wisdom supports the belief that people with formal Lean and Six Sigma training are the ones that are best at making process improvements. While having skills from the Lean ‘toolbox’ is certainly a big plus, it is not the only thing that matters. Often, the personality traits of an individual Read more…