Lean Insight and Product Reviews
Get ready to embark on a journey back in time, tracing the progress of the small but mighty barcode – the unsung hero that completely transformed the world of inventory management. This post will unveil how those little zebra-striped labels took over our shelves and warehouses, drastically improved efficiency, and redefined accuracy in stock keeping. Welcome to a behind-the-scenes story of this revolutionary innovation that shaped modern…
Kaizen, the philosophy of continuous improvement, can bring numerous benefits to organizations. However, many organizations need help to overcome the challenges of implementing Kaizen. In this article, we will explore common challenges faced during the implementation of Kaizen and provide strategies to overcome them, ensuring a smooth and successful journey towards continuous improvement. Strategies to Overcome Kaizen Implementation Challenges Resistance to Change One of the primary challenges…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
We were very heartened to see that good educational opportunities continue for those manufacturing firms that are concerned about and dedicated to the practice of Lean Continuous Improvement. The 5th installment of the series offered by IMEC and Kishwaukee College proved itself to be a success and a good recurring example of how progress, interest and finally examples of the 5S philosophies are being created through this…
Lean, Kaizen and 5S are not just for manufacturers 5S can create some hard divides between those who love and appreciate the peace and calm that order bring and those who, while not necessarily “loving” chaos and disorder, still feel more at home amidst piles of paper, missing tools such as staplers and rulers, etc. The following video is an example of how many employees might feel…
Kaizen Events and how to implement them Because Kaizen is usually an event in itself, discussing the meaning and implementation of kaizen in a business setting, this book is both aptly titled as well as targeted. Making the kaizen event even more “kaizen-like” in it’s makeup is the direction of this writing by Geoffrey L. Mika. The 292-page book begins with the history of kaizen, laying an…