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1、Lean OperationsAnswers To Frequently Asked QuestionsQCI International17055 Quailridge RoadCottonwood, CA 96022Phone: (530) 347-1334 Fax: (530) 347-6987E-mail: infoqci-Web site: www.qci-Copyright 2001 QCI InternationalINTRODUCTIONThis booklet has been written to provide a quick primer for those wishi
2、ng to become acquainted with lean operations.As you read this booklet, bear in mind that it is not intended to be a do-it-yourself kit. It is an introductory document. To implement lean operations, there has to be a determined support by management, a belief in people and willingness to provide the
3、training that has proven so essential.CONTENTSGeneral questions about lean operations4Examples of measurements and results in a lean environment5Training7Major obstacles10Selling the idea10The Steering Committee11The continuous improvement coordinator11The leader and members12Improvement projects13R
4、ecognition13General questions about lean operationsWhat is lean?Lean operations involve the elimination of waste, whether it be time, materials, efficiency or processes. It also means figuratively tightening the belt in pursuit of increased productivity gains that will increase a companys ability to
5、 compete more successfully.Why lean?Increased global competition will likely force all but the strong to the sidelines. Belt tightening and a lean mindset will enable the game to continue as companies steady themselves for the challenges and opportunities that await them.The truly lean company of to
6、day will be a survivor in the global battle for customers and bottom line profits. The need for lean is obvious and the potential rewards are dazzling. There will be those who will probably resist the necessary changes. Training will start you on the road to overcoming this resistance and ultimately
7、 achieving a successful transition.Who participates in lean Operations?Eventually, everyone in the company is a participant in the quest for a lean organization.Is lean applicable only to manufacturing?The concept includes many non-manufacturing areas such as purchasing, clerical, office and technic
8、al. Also, these areas often contribute in making lean achievements in manufacturing more successful.What organizations can benefit from lean projects?Every organization offers goods or services. This includes such diverse sectors as merchandising, hospitals, banking, insurance, public utilities, gov
9、ernment, military, prisons, churches, schools and, of course, manufacturing.Can lean activities be started in more than one division at a time?Yes, it can be done, but starting in one division is preferable. The experience gained permits corrections and modifications to be introduced with less fuss.
10、 In this way, any “bugs” can be eliminated before the concept is initiated plant-wide.How should employees approach problems?They should approach problems with a positive attitudeone that says, “We can solve it!” Open discussion and use of various problem-solving tools, in a positive and cooperative
11、 manner, will shed new light on any problem.How important is it to establish objectives and milestones?Individuals or groups working on lean projects should be encouraged to establish an objective and develop a plan to achieve it. The plan is further broken into milestones so that progress can be co
12、nstantly measured against the plan. This information should be charted and posted for all to see and have it serve as a constant reminder.What if a lean project overlaps into other areas of an organization?That will happen, especially in the long run, but in the short run and particularly the early
13、phases, it should be avoided. We are talking about change and many people resist having to do and support new ways of doing things. When it is clear that a project is going to affect more than one area, try to involve those who will be affected in coming up with solutions.Examples of measurements an
14、d results in a lean environmentMeasuring improvements in lean operation organizations requires the use of several traditional and many non-traditional measurements. The following is an explanation of some frequently used measurements and examples of how they have been applied:Work in process (WIP)Th
15、is is a measure of the amount of material which has left raw materials stock but has not yet become finished goods. Examples: WIP cut from twenty-two days to one day o Disc drives and tape storage WIP on floor cut 67%o Electrical circuit breakersInventoryInventory consists of both raw materials and
16、finished goods. Examples: Finished goods inventory cut 92%o Largesize twist drills Inventory turns up from 3.5 to 20o Motorcycle assemblyFloor space requirementsFloor space reductions result in lower costs for utilities, building maintenance and capital investment to meet expansion requirements. Exa
17、mples: Space reduced to onethird of original requirementso Computer printers Floor space cut from 51,000 to 9,000 square feeto Computer logic unitLead-TimeLead-time is the time which elapses between receipt of an order and the time the product or service is shipped to the customer. Examples: Reduced
18、 lead time from 17 weeks to 1 weeko CAD/CAM equipment Cut production lead time from 14 days to 2 dayso Defense weapons systemsFlow distanceFlow distance is the distance a part or document travels during the manufacturing process. Examples: Flow distance cut from 1,100 to 180 feeto Diagnostic drug an
19、alyzer Flow distance cut from 31,000 to 275 feeto Computer productsScrap and reworkScrap and rework reductions can represent huge savings. Examples: Defects reduced 52%, number of inspectors cut from 75 to 6o Motorcycle assembly Scrap and salvage cost reduced 54%o Electronic air cleanersProduct or m
20、odel changeoverThe speed and frequency of product or model changeovers (set-ups) is an indication of the degree to which the organization can respond to changing demands in the market place and its ability to efficiently reduce inventories by building only what is needed. Examples: Reduced from one
21、model changeover per month to several per dayo Self-propelled lawn mowers Reduced time per changeover from 8 hours to 18 minuteso Cough dropsOther measuresProductivity: Reduced paperwork by 70% (Kanban)o Hydraulic valves Productivity, including yield, up 35%o Disc packs and discsJobs: Number of job
22、categories cut 95%o SemiconductorsEquipment: Storage racks cut 67%o Circuit breakersTrainingWho provides the training?Leader training is commonly provided by the coordinator. The leader trains the members, with help from the coordinator, as necessary. Member training can be done all at once or a lit
23、tle at a time and as needed.What are some of the techniques, expressions and concepts used by members of a lean team?First, team members must be familiar with problem-solving and process control techniques such as: brainstorming, data gathering (sampling), Pareto analysis, cause and effect problem a
24、nalysis, histograms, control charts, stratification, scatter diagrams, etc.Secondly, there are a number of techniques and expressions that should be familiar to lean practioners. Some examples include: The 5S Kaizen activities Inventory reduction SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) TPM (Total Preve
25、ntative Maintenance) Poka Yoke (Mistake Proofing) Waste Elimination The Pull Concept Just-In-Time Cycle time reduction Takt Time Other items include-Lean production layout-Communication strategies and the “visual factory”What are the 5SThe 5S are initials of Japanese words that stand for several asp
26、ects of housekeeping. The comparable words in English are: Sort-“What is not in use, throw it out” Set-In-Order-“Rearrange the work area” Shine-”Cleanliness is next to godliness” Standardize-“Establish policy guidelines” Sustain-“Keep 5-S activities from unraveling”Why would we start with cleaning a
27、nd organizing the workplace? Well, why not? It is not a daunting task. Actually, it is to everyones advantage to start with a clean slate, so to speak. Some degree of success is assured. Because the results of cleaning and organizing are so visible, ideas should abound as employees from one departme
28、nt observe what is happening in other departments around the plant.What are Kaizen activities?Kaizen is a Japanese word that means “continuous improvement.” The improvements individually are usually small and incremental, but collectively dramatic. Masaaki Imai, a Japanese consultant, has popularize
29、d Kaizen as an important business strategy. He believes the following six major systems should be in place in order to successfully achieve a Kaizen strategy: Total quality management Just-in-time Total productive maintenance Policy deployment A suggestion system Team activitiesWhat is the importanc
30、e of inventory reduction?Lead time can be dramatically reduced at a number of places in the processing of orders.Work-in-progress (WIP) is a leading cause of long lead time. WIP can include paperwork, raw materials, in-process inventory and even finished products.There must be a unified approach bet
31、ween management and operators on how to achieve inventory reduction.Office paperwork can be, and usually is, just as likely to hit “log jams” as the physical products are that are out in the shop.What is SMED?SMED stands for “Single Minute Exchange of Die.” If refers to the time it should take to se
32、t-up a machine to produce a part. In automotive plants there are numerous instances where it would take three or four hours to do a set-up. However, after the application of lean techniques, the set-up time would be reduced to minutes!What is TPM?TPM stands for “Total Preventative Maintenance.” The
33、goal of TPM is to maximize equipment effectiveness throughout the life of the equipment.The absence of a lean mentality is obvious when machine maintenance is totally the responsibility of the maintenance specialists. The truth is that operators can contribute in keeping the equipment in good condit
34、ion. TPM should involve everyone at all levels. The Lean team can contribute to developing a maintenance system that they are a part of. The goal should be zero breakdowns.What is Poka-Yoke?Poka-yoke is a Japanese word meaning “mistake proofing.” Poka-yoke devices can dramatically cut defects. A sim
35、ple example is the three pronged electric plug-in. You can not plug it in wrong! There are poka-yoke devices to detect errors that have been made. Other poka-yoke devices are designed to shut down the machine before it could create a defective part.What is included under the expression, “Waste Elimi
36、nation?”“Muda” is the Japanese word for waste. When applied to the workplace, it refers to a range of non-value-adding activities such as rework, scrap, excess inventory, excess processing, delay and transportation. For many people, the elimination or reduction of waste is the most important embodim
37、ent of lean operations. To summarize, work that does not add value does not get paid for. Thus, it is waste, plain and simple.What is meant by “The Pull Concept?”The opposite to “Pull” is “Push.” Push scheduling is old school thinking whereby a sales forecast is developed and product is produced whe
38、ther there is truly enough demand to absorb it. The customer may get swamped in product. A pull strategy is a just-in-time approach whereby upstream production is only as great as the needs are of the downstream customer. Supermarkets employ a pull strategy in the sale of products. The customer “pul
39、ls” a product off the shelf. The stock clerk then “pulls” a replacement from the back room. The store purchasing agent “pulls” (orders) a replacement, and so on. In many organizations the “pulling” is done by the use of a simple but powerful non-computerized card system called “Kanban.”What is “Just
40、-In-Time?”Just-in-time (JIT) is designed to get product to the customer when the need arises-not before. A restaurant typically operates on a just-in-time basis. The customer makes a selection from the menu. Then, and only then, do the employees “produce” the meal. JIT eliminates all kinds of muda (
41、waste) in the production system. (Also see the previous question dealing with a related subject, the Pull Concept).What is Cycle Time?Cycle time is the time it takes product to move through all the processing steps from raw material to something ready to be delivered to the customer. The only way th
42、e total time can be reduced is to eliminate waste activities from the process.What is Takt Time?Takt is a German word that translates to “beat of the music.” It is the pace we need the production process to run in order to meet customer demands.Major obstaclesWhat are some of the major obstacles to
43、lean operations? A belief that mass production equals lowest possible cost A belief that the biggest and most productive machines will always result in the lowest unit costs Piece rate incentive pay plans Not understanding the high costs related to inventories Lack of respect and cooperation by tech
44、nical specialists toward production level people Individual (not team) reward and recognition systems Excess numbers of narrowly defined job classifications The “John Wayne” syndrome (The rugged individualist-not a team player) A conviction that people and machines must never be idle A belief that m
45、aintaining a large inventory is sound business practice Managers and supervisors who resent the empowerment of employees involved in lean operationsSelling the ideaHow do we convince others that lean activities are paying their way?Before starting lean activities, establish baseline measurements in
46、all of the areas to be measured. For example, determine defect levels, cycle time, work-in-process, inventory levels, etc. At a later date these measures can be repeated for a convincing before-and-after comparison.Do successful lean operations exhibit certain common characteristics?In general, comm
47、on characteristics found in successful lean operations can be summarized as follows: Management is supportive Training is an integral part of the activity Waste of all kinds is a constant target for reduction and elimination A people-building philosophy prevails Before and after measurements provide quantitative evidence of improvementWhat is people-building?The concept of lean operations is based upon trust, respect a