The word “lean” conjures images of fitness, health, and readiness for action — and this is true of lean manufacturing too. When you adopt this concept within your own production environment, you are removing bottlenecks and other points of friction that can grind your operations to a halt.
Join us as we look in more detail at what lean manufacturing actually is and how it can benefit your operations. We’ll also examine how our own Process Equipment & Controls approach can help you with this lean implementation.
What is lean manufacturing exactly? Lean manufacturing is a concept that seeks to reduce the time taken to complete the production process. This concept is based on a series of core principles or tenets. They are designed to eliminate blockages and points of friction during development and ease congestion in the supply chain.
While lean manufacturing essentially accelerates the manufacturing processes by streamlining production systems, there is more to it than this. When implemented in the right way, the tenets of lean should enable businesses to reap a wealth of additional benefits. This includes reduced costs and improved satisfaction for the end user.
The lean process was originally developed in Japan when the manufacturer Toyota shifted from textile production to the automobiles they are famous for today. Toyota’s management team encountered significant problems during the production of their new range. Ultimately, they found that a conceptual overhaul was required, stopping holdups, and reducing time in production. (Source)
This led to the development of The Toyota Way and a new context for manufacturing success. The Toyota Way would be documented by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos in their book The Machine that Changed the World.
Building upon the idea of lean manufacturing, another manufacturing giant — Motorola — galvanized the movement. In the 1980s, Motorola’s teams developed a number of key processes and tools that could be used when effectively implementing lean. These processes and tools would become known as Six Sigma — a term eventually trademarked by Motorola. Lean Six Sigma has come to define the core principles of this manufacturing concept.
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The quality of the final product is always an important thing to consider during manufacture, but sometimes it becomes difficult to identify what this quality really means. In the value identification stage, it’s important to consider what the end user really wants to see from the final product. What features are they looking for? Which features do not align with these specific needs?
To distill this down to a very basic example, we can look at a spoon. Users need spoons to eat with, so the product must help them achieve this task. If the spoon has a can opener attachment, this is not help the user achieve their goal.
Some users may enjoy the extra feature. However, the additional cost and production time will not be worth it in most cases. This is simply because the additional functionality does not serve the needs of the broader customer base.
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Value stream mapping provides a more in-depth understanding of where this value is coming from. This process involves looking at how the product is designed, how it is used, and how it is disposed of — arranged across a timeline. It’s helpful to refer to software tools and applications to map this value stream.
Once the value stream is mapped, it becomes easier to assess where manufacturing systems can be optimized to provide maximum value to the customer. While the insight is valuable, there is much more to consider before lean manufacturing is achieved on a meaningful level.
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The flow is essentially the way a product will move through the work environment on its way to completion. From the point at which materials enter the facility, right across the production floor, through to where completed products exit ready for delivery and distribution. There is always the potential for inefficiency. Flow creation is the process of counteracting this and streamlining the journey through the process — important lean principles.
Materials and components at all stages of production need to travel smoothly, efficiently, and logically through the facility. While the layout of the production floor is important to flow, there are other aspects too. Such as an automated solution to transport items from Station A to Station B and so on and highly trained teams of personnel who can monitor production.
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A pull-based system means the driving force of the manufacturing process is coming from the end user. The end user is essentially “pulling” the goods toward the end of the process by placing orders and creating demand. This is the opposite of a push-based system, in which the driving force comes from the “top”. For example, materials are purchased and products are created, ready for orders that may or may not come in the future.
With a pull-based system, there is no need for a vast inventory, and there is no danger of products going unsold. Instead, the order is placed, demand is created, and then the manufacturing process fulfills this. As long as the value has been properly identified, the demand will come. And as long as the flow has been properly created, the orders will be filled in time.
This is a vital part of lean manufacturing and can be highly beneficial. You will be able to optimize the use of your workspace while reducing wastage in the process.
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As a core principle, continuous improvement might seem conceptual and difficult to quantify. However, it is an important part of lean manufacturing. Businesses need to keep on monitoring the quality of their products and services, as well as the efficiency of the manufacturing process. This provides the data that teams need to identify the next step in enhancing productivity.
There is no such thing as a perfect product — a kind of eventual endpoint. Instead, you can target an ongoing schedule of continual improvements and developments, both for the product itself and for the system of manufacture.
We have worked with clients from across a range of different industries and sectors. We have found that successfully implementing lean principles within production systems brings with it a wealth of different benefits. Some of which are relatively obvious, while others are perhaps less so.
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The most immediate benefit of lean principles is time reduction. As the aim of lean is to reduce the time it takes to manufacture a specific product, it makes sense that this would be high on the list. Businesses that adopt this manufacturing concept can achieve a far more streamlined process. They can reduce the time’s production holdups and points of friction that bring operations to a halt.
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Customer satisfaction is always a key aim when it comes to manufacturing products. After all, it is these customers who generate the demand, and this demand needs to be filled with high-quality output. Delivering great products on time and within a reasonable budget can help to keep your customers happy. It will give you a competitive advantage over other organizations in your field.
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One of the key tenets of the Six Sigma lean manufacturing tools is to constantly improve processes and output. Product quality is not so much an end target as it is a conceptual driving force. Yes, you can achieve an improved product, but you can always improve still further on this in the future. This is part of the lean manufacturing mindset and will help you develop even better products.
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If everything is running smoothly and predictably within your manufacturing environment, this means things are going well. And, if things are going well, your teams are likely to be happy, enjoying a high level of workplace morale. This is because points of friction can be seriously frustrating for your personnel. They will see their own hard work undone by things that are not efficient or that are not planned well.
Compromises that are made in order to improve efficiency may lead to lower product quality and workplace safety. Lean manufacturing eliminates these dangers and boosts morale across the organization.
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Developing pull and feeding demand in this direction, rather than relying on a push-based model, results in better agility for your business. You will become more able to make moves in the market, responding to changing customer demand and taking advantage of the latest trends and expectations.
Here at PEC, we are the experts when it comes to technologically focused, forward-thinking manufacturing solutions. With autonomous solutions and a range of different fabrication services, we can help you transform your manufacturing operation. We collaborate with you to create the kind of lean environment that helps you pull ahead of the pack in your field.
We are proud of our personnel. We bring together the best individuals to create a unified team that manages to be even more than the sum of its already impressive parts. Our team has a wealth of complementary skill sets and specialties. We can help you understand the specific needs of your business and then develop a practical, bespoke solution that makes this happen.
Ready to achieve lean enterprise status within your own organization? With Process Equipment & Controls, adopting lean manufacturing principles and Six Sigma tools just got a whole lot easier. Our experienced team can help you utilize lean approaches like a pull system of production that focuses on reducing waste and improving productivity.
If you are still unsure of what lean manufacturing can do for you, we invite you to schedule a consultation today. Our specialized lean enterprise strategy will get your project off the ground in no time!