PRODUCTIVITY  IMPROVEMENT

Process Walk

Observing processes in action can reveal an abundance of improvement opportunities. Going to the ‘Gemba’ is one of the most important elements of gaining process understanding. It often  provides a springboard to process improvement opportunities.

By observing the processes first hand, and speaking to the workers, you can understand how effective and efficient your processes are. It’s about looking at the process in action from start to finish and seeing first hand what happens.

Error-Proofing

'Poka-Yoke', Error proofing is a simple method, that can be applied to detect and prevent defects. Error proofing techniques are applied to your process inputs; Man, Material, Method, Machine, Measurement, and Environment in order to provide process stability and minimize errors. Employee empowerment is an important part of Poka-Yoke, and applying production techniques such as check inspection, limiting, interlocking, alarming, and housekeeping, employees have the tools and authority to shutdown, read warning signals, and control processes. 

Five-S

5s emphasizes the importance of a clean, tidy and well-organized work-space to maintain optimum productivity levels and safety. It includes the monitoring and measurement needed to ensure that the workplace contains only what is needed, when it is needed, and where it is needed. 

Waiting time is one of the key wastes affecting capacity.  By creating a Lean 5s workplace, time is not wasted searching for tools and gauges or waiting for instructions.  Processing time is reduced as everything is within easy reach of the workplace. Safety is improved by having a tidy, uncluttered, clean and accessible workplace, and handling damage is minimized with an organized environment.

Rapid Changeover

Rapid changeover ensures quick changeover times of equipment. The concept is that moving as many changeover steps as possible external to the machine cycle will reduce the changeover time to less than ten minutes. This in turn will lead to shorter equipment downtime, increased equipment utilization, reduced process lead time and customer wait time, improved quality due to less storage related defects, simpler, safer, better understood and standardized changeovers.

Predictive Maintenance

Equipment problems can have a dramatic impact on manufacturing operations, and this is where predictive maintenance comes in.  Predictive maintenance has its roots in reliability methodologies and uses similar metrics such as MTTF - "mean time to failure" to anticipate maintenance requirements.  At the heart of predictive maintenance is the cost trade-off between "preventive maintenance" and a "fix-it-when-it-breaks" approach.  All workers are empowered to play an active role in preventative and predictive maintenance, to minimize machine down time due to repairs.

Cellular Manufacturing

Cellular manufacturing is an approach whereby equipment and workstations are arranged to facilitate continuous production flow.  In a traditional manufacturing environment, similar machines are placed together.  In cellular manufacturing, machines are grouped together according to the families of parts they are producing.  With the cellular arrangement, all operations necessary to produce a component or sub-assembly are performed in close proximity, enabling production to move as quickly as possible, while making as little waste and possible.

Takt Time

Takt Time is the average rate needed to produce a finished product based on customer requirements and available working time.  Often referred to as the production "beat" in lean manufacturing, it provides a simple and consistent method of pacing production. Takt time is calculated by dividing available time by the number of products that need to be produced to meet customer demand.

Once a takt system is in place bottlenecks can be easily identified when the product does not move on time.

Standard Work

This is a powerful lean tool which documents the tasks that make up the value stream to create "best practice" standards.  Having clear documentation on the methods, materials, tools and processing times required to meet takt time for a given job is essential for reducing variability, and maintaining high productivity levels.  Standard work is useful for training new employees, and adds discipline in a lean environment where building effective teams is a key goal.  As a standard is improved, it is documented and becomes the baseline for further improvements.

One Piece Flow (Continuous Flow)

One piece flow or 'Continuous flow' refers to an item being passed along a process without stopping.  Ideally, it moves along a process where it is subjected to value-adding activities that create the finished product or service for the customer.  When process steps are not perfectly balanced, each step in the process is not producing at the same rate, and therefore there are delays, queues and inventory build up.  By using a combination of the productivity tools listed, continuous flow can be achieved leading to higher productivity.

Pull System

A Pull or Kanban system is a scheduling system for regulating the flow of goods. The idea is for production to take place on the 'pull' of the customer to prevent the accumulation of excess inventory or overproduction.  The primary goal of a pull system is to reduce lead time variability, which stabilizes the process, reduces inventory, and reduces overhead.  Pull systems make it easier to control the process and manage it as changes in demand occur. A pull system provides better visibility to problem areas, allowing analysis and improvements to be made.

Leveling the Workload

The leveling technique helps manufacturers compensate for unpredictable customer demand by eliminating the waste of overproduction.  Effective "Sales and Operations Planning" (S&OP) levels the demand internally at work centers by smoothing the demand, using forecasting, advanced material authorizations, and strategic time fences.  This technique is used to free bottlenecks, reduce inventory, and facilitate one piece flow after setting the takt time, or establishing time standards.