Lean Insight and Product Reviews
6 min read When a customer places and order, they will typically want to get what they purchased as soon as possible. The amount of time between the moment when the order is placed, and the moment when the order is shipped out to the customer, is called lead time. Finding ways to reduce lead time in manufacturing is very important as it will allow you to service your customers better. This reduction in lead time can also …
3 min read 5S is a very popular way that companies can improve the way that things are organized in the workplace. The goal is to improve efficiency, eliminate waste, and generally benefit the way that things are run. 5S is most commonly used in manufacturing and warehousing organizations, but it can provide real benefits in just about any industry. Understanding the concepts behind 5S will help your organization to recognize the benefits it can provide and implement …
3 min read There are hundreds of different management strategies that are used in businesses throughout the world. When you need to really get to the heart of how work is done, and make improvements on existing processes, the concept of Gemba is something that needs to be considered. Gemba is a term and concept that comes from Japan but has since been adopted by companies throughout the world. The term Gemba means ‘the actual place’ and is …
2 min read Kaizen events, sometimes referred to as “Rapid Improvement Events” or “Kaizen Blitzes,” take place over a short period of time, usually a week or less. A Kaizen event is an action where the end result is to improve an existing process. A Kaizen event is a short-term effort to implement small, company wide improvements. A Kaizen event should include training, analysis, design, and reconfiguring. It is not unusual for a Kaizen event to last anywhere …
3 min read The 5S Audit Checklist helps to assess the organization standards of the office or the factory. This audit or score is generally based on the frequency, cleanliness, knowledge skills or level, strength of housekeeping, standardization degree, tagging frequency, and system approach of the organization; it is key to sustaining your 5S efforts. The 5S Audit Checklist for Factory is quick and takes only 7 minutes for completion. Auditing Factory – Step Wise Process The primary …
2 min read A great tool for management to maintain and improve the work flow is called the 5 M’s. By always keeping an eye on the 5 M’s, the managers will be able to see when something is not working in a process and ensure efficiency and profitability. The 5M model can be used for risk management, troubleshooting safety issues, and in Lean manufacturing. It’s a framework commonly used in root cause analysis and originated within the …
2 min read The story of Six Sigma’s origin started in a place where good stories rarely begin: aboard room, in a manager’s meeting. By the time the 1970s rolled around, the Toyota Production System had been implemented and Toyota was becoming one of the best manufacturers in the world. Motorola was finding their company unable to compete with other Japanese companies, and it was time for change. A group of Motorola executives were discussing, among other things, …
2 min read Gemba and kaizen go together like peanut butter and jelly. In Japanese, Gemba means “the actual place”. In kaizen, the phrase “Go to Gemba First” is often used. It means that you must go to where the action is or where the process is completed. It is the workbench, the sales meeting, production line, or the cubicle. To make changes in a process, you must actually see the process in action. Many managers never leave …
2 min read Red tags are a simple, but critical, tool used in the first step of 5S. 5S is a Lean methodology used to organize and maintain workspaces in order to improve efficiency. Like the name implies, there are steps to the 5S system beginning with the Sort phase. Cluttered tool chests and work benches result in a space that is difficult to work in and workers may have to spend extra time searching for the right …
2 min read Looking for areas in your facility to cut down on wastes? Inventory is a great place to start. Maintaining and storing large amounts of inventory and materials is a costly task, you need to not only purchase those extra items, but you need to take up valuable space in the facility for storage. When you are able to reduce inventory, you are in turn also able to reduce costs. Utilizing and implementing a kanban system …
