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9.6 Lean Tools

 朗朗xl 2017-02-25



It is important that all the processes be coordinated in order to achieve a perfect flow. A process in any organization begins with the order being placed by the customer and ends with the product being delivered to him. QFD is an important tool to improve efficiency and satisfy the customers. Lean Manufacturing also offers different tools to improve the flow. 

Lean is in fact, most of the times, considered just a set of tools. Kanban, Kaizen and Poka -Yoke are the most popular tools of Lean. The need for Lean tools grew out of the problem of inefficiency and standardizing the process. The Lean tools allow a perfect flow for the organization.

1. 5s

It is a starting point in Lean Manufacturing. It is a tool which helps to systematize and standardize the organization. The 5s have been derived form the Japanese words Seiri, Seiton, Seison, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. They were a part of the Toyota Lean Manufacturing System. These 5s make way for prompt spotting of problems and quick solutions.

The 5s help to reduce wastage and optimize manufacturing efforts by systemizing the work environment. The execution of this tool helps to “clean-up” the organization and makes it a better place to work. The English version of the 5s is described below:

1. Sort

It means to clear the work area. The items which are required or important for a particular area in the workplace should only have things which are required. The things which are not required should be sorted out.

2. Set in Order

The items which are required should be put in a proper place so that they can be easily accessed when the need arises.

3. Shine

Shine implies keeping the workplace clean and clear. Cleanliness includes housekeeping efforts and keeping the dirt away form the workplace. Cleanliness not only ensures improvement in the appearance but at the same time safety while working.

4. Standardize

The clean-up and the storage methods should be standardized. The best practices should be followed by everybody in the organization to set an example and to standardize the efforts.

5. Sustain

The effort to keep the workplace should be sustained. 5s’s involve a change in the old practices of the organization. The culture change should be imbibed in every employee of the organization.

Advantages

1. Lead to improvement in the processes.

2. Reduce set-up times.

3. Cycle time reduction.

4. Decrease in the accident rate.

5. Better reliability on the machinery.

This Lean tool motivates the employees to develop their work environment and ultimately helps in reducing wastage, time and in-process inventory. There is optimum utilization of space and easy accessibility of tools and materials used during work. The 5s are also a base for other lean tools like TPM and just-in-time production.

2. Visual Factory

Visual Factory is a tool which allows for easy access to information for everybody to see and understand. This information can be used for continuous improvements. If the knowledge about all the tools, parts, production systems and metrics is clearly stated everybody in the organization can understand the standing of the system at a glance. The presence of information simplifies things and manageability. Visual factory is like a visual aid which helps to know the what, when, where, who and how and why of any work place. Simply put, it helps to view the current status of an organization.

3. Kanban

Kanban is a word taken from the Japanese language and implies “card-signal.” Kanban/Pull systems help in the optimization of resources in an organization. They depend on customer demands rather than on sales forecasts. There are no stocks which lie in the store room waiting for the customer demands. Kanban is a signal card which indicates that the system is ready to receive the input. It helps to manage the flow of the material in the manufacturing system.

The concept of Kanban is many years old. The ‘two bin system’ was used in the UK much before the Japanese production tools became popular in the 1970s. The Kanban system is very easy to understand and deploy in an organization. It is very popular in industries where there is a stable demand and flow. Usually the demand is less and supplies more in the manufacturing industry. So, Kanban cannot be applied to the entire process. However, there may be sub-processes to which it can be applied. 

It is a system where the supply of raw materials and other components is ongoing. The workers have a never ending supply of what, when and where they need something. The Kanban system has the following benefits:

1. It decreases the stock and prevents the products form becoming obsolete.

2. It minimizes wastage and scrap.

3. It allows flexibility in the manufacturing process.

4. It increases output.

5. It saves costs.

4. Poka-Yoke

Poka-Yoke is a Japanese term which stands for mistake proofing. The term was invented by Shigeo Shingo. It can easily recognize flaws in a product and thwart the manufacturing of incorrect parts. It is a signal to specify a trait in a product or a process. It is the first step in proofing a system. Poka-Yoke is mandatory as it saves time and money for the organization. Defects like scrap rework and other defects can be prevented in the first place with the help of Poka-Yoke. Poka-Yoke puts limits on the errors and helps in the accurate completion of the project.

5. SMED

Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) is a method adopted for quick changeovers. The SMED tool is applicable for all kinds of industry, be it a small retail shop or a car manufacturing company. SMED is also known as "Quick Die Change" or “change-over” and it is the time period between the completion of the last task till the beginning of the next task. The time required to get the tools, raw materials and complete the paperwork includes SMED.

The SMED tool is an important part of the Lean Manufacturing as it helps to save costs and helps avoid loop-holes. Decreasing setup time at capacity constraining resources is very significant because the throughput of the entire organization is at stake at these nodes. The SMED process reduces setup time and increases utilization, improves competence and quantity. Switchover required for machinery and rooms when switching from one room to another can be done in a short span of time and it serves as an important agent of change.

Benefits

1. Decrease in the raw material stock and tools.

2. Decrease in the flow time.

3. Eradication of waste and decrease in non-value added activities.

4. Increase in quantity.

5. Increase in elasticity.

6. Decrease in costs in terms of raw material and waste.

7. Increase in the cash flow.

8. Increase in the competition.

9. Improvement in customer satisfaction.

6. Standard Work

Standard Work is the basic or standard process. It is important to standardize the work before the Lean tools are applied to a manufacturing process. The elements of standard work include the speed of work matched to the customer demand, process ladder to complete a task and material required by a worker to finish the task. Standard work helps improve stability, quality, production and safety in the organization.

Standard work is an important tool as far as employee empowerment and continuous improvement is concerned. In conventional work environments, the rules or changes were laid down by the industrial engineers or the higher authority. However, these days the change agents are the employees themselves. They are the ones who practically work and know the changes which are required in the organization. Thus they solve problems and assume responsibility for the same. They can be held accountable for the standards they create for themselves.

The norms that are established to standardize the work should be clearly documented. The documentation ensures that the rules are being followed and the work is being carried out in a consistent manner to ensure efficiency and eradicate waste. The documents should be regularly modified for continuous improvement as it brings to fore the areas that need development.

Standardized work requires employee feedback and control. It is a benchmark for other tools like 5s and pull methods. Establishing standards leads to minimal wastage and improves efficiency. The standard work should be continuously upgraded and the efforts of improvement should be sustained.

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