Lean manufacturing, basic concepts

Lean(Lean Production) - a system for organizing and managing product development, operations, relationships with suppliers and customers, in which products are manufactured in strict accordance with the needs of consumers and with fewer defects compared to products made using mass production technology. This reduces the cost of labor, space, capital and time.

lean-enterprise(Lean Enterprise) is a business system for organizing and managing product development, operations, relationships with suppliers and customers, using the principles, practices and tools of lean manufacturing to create well-defined customer value (goods and services with higher quality and fewer defects , with less labor, on less floor space, with less capital and in less time than traditional system mass production).

Lean businesses involved in the production of a particular family of products operate on the basis of an agreement according to which they determine the value of products from the perspective of the end consumer, eliminate non-productive activities from the value stream, and perform activities that create value in the form of a continuous flow as they "pull" products by the client. The cooperating enterprises carry out the listed procedures continuously throughout the entire life cycle of this product family.

The presented definition of the system of lean production very concisely expresses the essence of this concept. Let's try to uncover some provisions of this definition.

An important principle of the concept of lean manufacturing is continuous improvement and participation in this process of the entire team.

"Creating well-defined customer value" involves understanding what is value for the consumer. And here you can not rely on only your own knowledge. Work should be carried out to identify all components of customer value, sometimes directly with the end consumer of the product / service. This is a guarantee that the requirements of the consumer will be satisfied most fully and with least cost(excludes redundant work).

If a company is engaged in lean manufacturing, it means that it puts the interests of the customer, buyer, client, partner and its own employees at the forefront, and everyone benefits from this. Therefore, the introduction of lean manufacturing is the best business card for presenting the company to partners and customers.

“With less labor, in less space, with less capital and in less time”- in the concept of lean manufacturing, this means an exception all kinds of losses(overproduction, over-processing, waiting losses, transportation losses, personnel movements, losses due to defects/rework, etc.).

2. The concept of lean manufacturing is based on five principles that guide managers in the transition to lean manufacturing:

Definition of value each product family from the customer's point of view.

Definition of all stages of the value stream for each product family and eliminating, to the extent possible, non-value-adding activities.

Aligning operations that create value in a strict sequence that ensures the smooth movement of the product in the stream, directed to the client.

At the end of the flow formation - creating the possibility of "pulling" value customers from the previous stage.

Once value has been determined, identifying value streams, eliminating stages that cause waste, and drawing system formation- repeating the whole process again as many times as necessary to achieve a state of perfection in which absolute value is created and there is no waste.

It is necessary to explain what is push production and pull production.

Push production - processing products in large batches at maximum speed based on forecasted demand, followed by the movement of products to the next production stage or warehouse, regardless of the actual pace of the next process or the needs of the customer (consumer). Within such a system, it is almost impossible to implement lean manufacturing tools.

Pull production- a method of production management in which subsequent operations signal their needs to previous operations.

There are three types of pull production:

Supermarket pull system (reimbursement/replenishment system) is type a pull system.

Sequential pull system - type c pull system.

Mixed pull system – type c pull system.

Supermarket pull system- the most popular. With it, at each production stage there is a warehouse - a supermarket, in which a certain volume of products manufactured at this stage is stored. At each stage, as many products are produced as were withdrawn from the supermarket. As a rule, when a product is withdrawn from a supermarket by a subsequent process - a consumer, the latter sends up to the previous process information about the withdrawal using a special card (kanban) or otherwise.

Each process is responsible for restocking its supermarket, so the operational management and search for objects of continuous improvement (kaizen) is not a big deal. However, its application is complicated by the presence a large number types of products

Sequential pull system it is advisable to use with a large range of products produced by one process, i.e. when it is difficult or almost impossible to maintain a stock of each type of product in the supermarket. Products are essentially made-to-order, with total stock in the system kept to a minimum. A consistent system requires maintaining a short and predictable lead time, and a good understanding of the order flow from the customer. The operation of such a system requires very strong leadership.

Mixed Pull System- involves a combination of the two listed systems. It is advisable to apply it when the 80/20 rule is in effect, i.e. when a small proportion of product types (approximately 20%) makes up the largest part of the daily output (approximately 80%).

All kinds of products are divided into groups according to output volume: high volume, medium volume, low volume and rare orders. For the "rare orders" group, it is advisable to use a sequential pull system. For other groups - the pull system of the supermarket. With a mixed pull system, it may be more difficult to manage improvement and detect deviations.

Lean is a whole way of thinking. A mindset that optimizes the workflow. He uses the principles of work and tools for this.

Lean manufacturing or Lean originated on the basis of production system Toyota factories. American researchers interpreted some of the ideas of Taichi Ono and found the system he created suitable not only for the automotive industry, but also for any other areas.

The basis of the concept of lean manufacturing is the reduction of losses. Anything that does not make the product more valuable is considered a waste. To reduce costs, the workflow is optimized as much as possible, simplified where it is needed. Another important detail of Lean is the constant pursuit of excellence.

Types of losses

Losses and working to reduce them are a big part of this mindset. The creators of lean manufacturing distinguish seven types of waste. In different sources, they may be called differently.

1. Partially completed work. When work on a product or its component is not completed to the end, it is of no use and has no value. So, resources and time were wasted.
2. Extra steps or processes. These are the processes that take time and effort, but do not make the product more expensive. Such a process can be, for example, writing reports.
3. Unnecessary features or overproduction. A new option or functionality may be useful, but if the client does not need it, then this will not affect the price of the product.
4. Multitasking and moving. Each employee, and the team as a whole, work as efficiently as possible on one task. The more tasks are performed at the same time, the less labor efficiency.
5. Expectation. Work time, which was wasted due to the fact that the process could stop or slow down at other stages.
6. transportation or movement. When workers are far apart, or the assembly/work process itself is stretched out, the time to communicate or move parts of the product through the production stages increases.
7. Defects. Defective products are of low value or cause the team to spend time fixing defects.

Sources of losses

There are also three types or sources of loss.

• muda- uselessness, redundancy, extravagance. These are the losses that were described above.
• mura- unevenness, lack of rhythm. Costs arising from intermittent schedules, uneven production.
• Mouri- unreasonableness, congestion. Excessive workload of employees, which makes them less efficient in the long run.

Lean principles

Lean manufacturing contains several principles and a number of values. Values ​​probably play a larger role here, as they reflect and explain the whole concept.

• Liquidation of losses.
• Reinforcement learning.
• Making decisions at the last crucial moment.
• Reducing delay times.
• Respect for the team and work on its effectiveness.
• Product integrity and quality.
• Seeing the full picture.

The principles are achieving maximum quality and eliminating costs. There are five stages of their implementation.

1. Determining the value of a product.<
2. Definition of the value stream.
3. Ensuring the continuous flow of this flow.
4. Allowing the user to pull the product.
5. The pursuit of excellence.

Instruments

Lean has a wide range of tools. Some tools regulate the changeover of equipment, others organize the workplace, and others analyze the results of labor. Interestingly, most of the tools are applicable in various areas of production. Here are some of them.

Value stream map

A value stream map is a diagram that depicts the movement of a product or certain of its functionality through stages.

Each stage is highlighted in a rectangle and connected with an arrow to the next one. Under the chain of rectangles, the time that the product spent in each of them and spent moving between them is displayed. Based on the time flow map, it is easy to calculate which stages take longer, as well as how many hours or days are spent on waiting or transitions in total.

5 "Why?"

Five "Why?" - method of solving the problem. It allows you to get to the source of problems or losses. This is achieved through five consecutive “Why?” questions. when a problem is found. After that, the decision, as a rule, becomes much more obvious.

5S

5S is also one of the lean tools aimed at improving the organization of the workplace. It consists, as you might guess, of five components or steps (5 Steps).

• Sorting - the division of all items into necessary and unnecessary, getting rid of the latter.
• Keeping order is organizing the storage of the necessary things in such a way that they can be easily accessed.
• Maintaining cleanliness - regular cleaning of the workplace.
• Standardization - drawing up standards for the above three steps.
• Improvement - maintaining established standards and improving them.

Application of Lean

Lean manufacturing is most beneficial to implement in manufacturing industries. This is where Lean allows you to seriously save and reduce costs. The way of thinking and tools are convenient to introduce both on the scale of the enterprise and in small teams. In the field of software, even lean software development has been created - a methodology that uses the concept of Lean and its principles.

The beginning of the widespread use of lean manufacturing technologies was laid by Toyota. Following her example, many large firms during various crises began to look for ways to reduce costs and came to Lean. Now its principles are followed by 2/3 of the companies in the USA. Partly also because the state contributed to the dissemination of methods.

In Russia, there are not many companies willing to organize the workflow with the help of philosophy. Nevertheless, gradually large companies are moving to new production methods. Russian Railways, KAMAZ, Irkut and Rosatom have successfully implemented Lean and achieved good results thanks to it.

Lean Literature

A lot of different literature has been written about lean manufacturing, as well as about flexible methodologies. Three books to help you get started with Lean and apply it.

1. "Lean Manufacturing: How to get rid of waste and make your company prosper", James P. Womack, Daniel Jones.

2. "Toyota Production System", Taiichi Ohno.

3. "Production without losses for workers."

4. “Business from scratch. Lean Startup, Eric Rees.

Lean

Lean(lean production, lean manufacturing - English. lean- “skinny, slim, no fat”; in Russia, the translation “thrifty” is used, there are also options “slim”, “sparing”, “prudent”, in addition, there is a variant with transliteration - “lin”) - a management concept based on a steady desire to eliminate all types of losses. Lean production involves the involvement of each employee in the process of optimizing the business and maximum customer orientation.

Lean manufacturing is an interpretation of the ideas of the Toyota Production System by American researchers of the Toyota phenomenon.

Key Aspects of Lean Manufacturing

The starting point of lean manufacturing is customer value.

Value is the utility inherent in the product from the customer's point of view. Value is created by the manufacturer as a result of a series of sequential actions.

The heart of lean manufacturing is the process of eliminating waste.

Losses is any activity that consumes resources but does not create value for the consumer.

Losses in Japanese are called muda- a Japanese word that means waste, waste, that is, any activity that consumes resources but does not create value. For example, the consumer does not need at all that the finished product or its parts are in stock. However, under the traditional management system, warehouse costs, as well as all costs associated with rework, scrap, and other indirect costs are passed on to the consumer.

In accordance with the concept of lean manufacturing, all activities of an enterprise can be classified as follows: operations and processes that add value to the consumer, and operations and processes that do not add value to the consumer. Consequently, anything that does not add value to the customer is classified as a waste and should be eliminated.

Types of losses

• losses due to overproduction;
• loss of time due to waiting;
• losses due to unnecessary transportation;
• losses due to unnecessary processing steps;
• losses due to excess inventory;
• losses due to unnecessary movements;
• losses due to the release of defective products.

Jeffrey Liker, who, along with Jim Womack and Daniel Jones, has actively researched the Toyota manufacturing experience, pointed out the 8th type of waste in The Toyota Tao:

• unrealized creative potential of employees.

It is also customary to single out 2 more sources of losses - muri and mura, which mean, respectively, "overload" and "unevenness":

mura— uneven work performance, such as a fluctuating work schedule, not caused by fluctuations in end-user demand, but rather by the characteristics of the production system, or uneven pace of work on an operation, forcing operators to rush first and then wait. In many cases, managers are able to eliminate unevenness by leveling out scheduling and being mindful of the pace of work.

Muri- overloading of equipment or operators that occurs when working at a higher speed or pace and with greater effort over a long period of time - compared to the design load (design, labor standards).

Basic principles

Jim Womack and Daniel Jones, in their book Lean: How to Eliminate Waste and Make Your Company Thrive, lays out the essence of lean manufacturing as a five-step process:

1. Determine the value of a particular product.
2. Determine the value stream for this product.
3. Ensure the continuous flow of the product value stream.
4. Allow the user to pull the product.
5. Strive for perfection.

• Excellent quality (first sight delivery, zero defects system, detection and solution of problems at the source of their occurrence);
• Flexibility;
• Establishing a long-term relationship with the customer (by sharing risks, costs and information).

Lean Tools

Taiichi Ohno wrote in his paper that Toyota's production system stands on two "pillars" (often referred to as the "pillars of TPS"): the jidoka system and just-in-time.

• One piece flow
• Total equipment care - Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) system
• Poka - yoke ("error protection", "fool protection") - a method of preventing errors - a special device or method due to which defects simply cannot appear.

Implementation Algorithm (according to Jim Wumeck)

1. Find a change agent (you need a leader who can take responsibility);
2. Get the necessary knowledge of the Lean system (knowledge must be obtained from a reliable source);
3. Find or create a crisis (a good motive for introducing Lean is a crisis in the organization);
4. Map the entire value stream for each product family;
5. As soon as possible, start work in the main areas (information about the results should be available to the organization's staff);
6. Strive for immediate results;
7. Implement continuous improvement according to the Kaizen system (transition from value creation processes in the shops to administrative processes).

Common Mistakes When Implementing Lean Manufacturing

• Misunderstanding of the role of management in the implementation of the Lean system
• Building a "System" that does not have the necessary flexibility
• Starting implementation not from the “basics”
• Jobs change, but habits don't.
• Measure everything (collect data), but not react to anything
• "Paralytic analysis" (endless analysis of the situation, instead of continuous improvements)
• Go without support

Lean culture

Lean manufacturing is impossible without a lean culture. The main thing in Lean culture is the human factor, teamwork. Emotional intelligence (EQ) of employees provides significant support for this. Lean culture also corresponds to a certain corporate culture.

Efficiency

In general, the use of lean manufacturing principles can have significant effects. Prof. O. S. Vikhansky argues that the use of tools and methods of lean production makes it possible to achieve a significant increase in the efficiency of the enterprise, labor productivity, improve the quality of products and increase competitiveness without significant capital investments.

History

The father of lean manufacturing is Taiichi Ohno, who started working at Toyota Motor Corporation in 1943, integrating the best world practices. In the mid-1950s, he began to build a special production organization system called the Toyota Production System or Toyota Production System (TPS).

The Toyota system became known in the Western interpretation as Lean production, Lean manufacturing, Lean. The term lean was proposed by John Krafcik, one of the American consultants.

A significant contribution to the development of the theory of lean production was made by an associate and assistant of Taiichi Ono - Shigeo Shingo, who created, among other things, the SMED method.

The ideas of lean manufacturing were expressed by Henry Ford, but they were not accepted by business, as they were significantly ahead of their time.

Masaaki Imai was the first to spread the philosophy of Kaizen around the world. His first book Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success was published in 1986 and has been translated into 20 languages.

At first, the concept of lean manufacturing was applied in industries with discrete manufacturing, primarily in the automotive industry. The concept was then adapted to the conditions of continuous production. Gradually, the ideas of lean moved beyond manufacturing, and the concept began to be applied in trade, the service sector, utilities, healthcare (including pharmacies), the armed forces and the public sector.

In many countries, the spread of lean manufacturing is provided with government support. In the period of the highest competition and the escalating crisis, enterprises around the world have no other way than, using the best world management technologies, to create products and services that satisfy customers as much as possible in terms of quality and price.

Regular international and regional conferences contribute to the dissemination of Lean ideas. One of the largest platforms for the exchange of best practices in lean manufacturing in Russia is the Russian Lean Forums (since 2011 - the Russian Forum "Development of Production Systems"), which have been held annually since 2006.

Examples of using

Lean map. The deployment of the concept of lean manufacturing in Russia is presented on the Lean-map - the world's first map of lean manufacturing. The Lean Map, created by ICSI and the Leaninfo.ru Blog, highlights companies that, according to available information, use lean manufacturing tools, as well as lean people - that is, people who are famous, have significant experience in lean manufacturing and are active in spreading lean ideas. The map is constantly updated, mainly thanks to user information. Upon application with confirmation, any organization using lean manufacturing methods can be marked on the map.

The world's largest companies are successfully using Toyota's experience: Alcoa, Boeing, United Technologies (USA), Porsche (Germany), Tool Rand (Russia) and many others.

Lean Logistics (Lin logistics). The synthesis of logistics and the Lean concept made it possible to create a pull system that unites all firms and enterprises involved in the value stream, in which partial replenishment of stocks in small batches takes place. Lean Logistics uses the Total Logistics Cost (TLC) principle.

Lean manufacturing in medicine.. According to expert estimates, approximately 50% of the time at the medical staff is not used directly on the patient. A transition to personalized medicine is ahead, in which the patient receives care "at the right time and in the right place." Medical facilities should be located so that the patient does not have to spend time on numerous transfers and waiting in other places. Now this leads to significant financial costs for patients and a decrease in the effectiveness of treatment. In 2006, at the initiative of the Lean Enterprise Academy (Great Britain), the first conference in the EU on the problem of implementing Lean in the healthcare sector was held.

Lean mail. In the Danish Post Office, within the framework of Lean Manufacturing, a large-scale standardization of all offered services has been carried out to increase labor productivity and speed up mail forwarding. For the identification and control of postal services, "maps for the in-line creation of their value" have been introduced. An effective motivation system for postal employees has been developed and implemented.

Lean office. Lean manufacturing methods are increasingly being used not only in manufacturing, but also in offices (lean office), as well as in local and central governments.

Thrift House. The use of lean technology in everyday life makes it possible to make life environmentally friendly, to reduce energy costs to a minimum level. The passive house is a typical example of lean living. A passive house, or rather an energy-efficient house, is a house in which heating costs are about 10% of normal energy consumption, which practically makes it energy-independent. The heat loss of the Passive House is less than 15 W. hour / m² per year (for comparison, in an old building 300 W. hour / m² per year), and the need for a slight heating of the house occurs only at negative outdoor temperatures. Passive house at a frost of minus 20 cools down by 1 degree per day.

Downsides of Lean Manufacturing

It should also be noted that the introduction of lean manufacturing has certain negative aspects. In practice, a fairly large number of companies practicing lean manufacturing following Toyota make extensive use of so-called labor. temporary workers working on short-term contracts, who can be easily fired in the event of a reduction in production. For example, in 2004, Toyota employed 65,000 permanent workers and 10,000 temporary workers.

see also

• Toyota: 14 Business Principles
• Lean Design

Notes

Literature

• Womack James P., Jones Daniel T. Lean production. How to get rid of losses and achieve prosperity for your company. - M.: "Alpina Publisher", 2011. ISBN 978-5-9614-1654-1
• Womack James P., Jones Daniel T., Russ Daniel. The machine that changed the world. - M.: Potpourri, 2007. ISBN 978-985-483-889-2
• Golokteev K., Matveev I. Production management: tools that work., - St. Petersburg. : Peter, 2008. ISBN 978-5-91180-599-9
• Taiichi Ohno. The Toyota Production System: Moving away from mass production. - M: IKSI Publishing House, 2012. ISBN 978-5-903148-39-4
• Shigeo Shingo. A study of the Toyota production system from the point of view of the organization of production. - M: IKSI, 2010. ISBN 978-5-903148-35-6
• Pascal Dennis. Sirtaki in Japanese: About the Toyota Production System and Beyond ISBN 978-5-903148-04-2
• Yasuhiro Monden. Toyota management system. - M. Publishing house IKSI, 2007, ISBN 978-5-903148-19-6
• Liker Jeffrey. Tao Toyota: 14 principles of management of the world's leading company - M.,: "Alpina Publisher", 2011. ISBN 978-5-9614-1590-2
• Shook John, Rother Michael. Learn to See Business Processes: The Practice of Value Stream Mapping (2nd edition). - M.: "Alpina Publisher", 2008. ISBN 978-5-9614-0621-4
• George L. Michael. Lean + Six Sigma. Combining Six Sigma quality with Lean speed. - M: Alpina Publisher, 2007 ISBN 978-5-9614-0636-8
• Mary Poppendyck, Tom Poppendyck. Lean software manufacturing: from idea to profit. - M .: Williams, 2010. ISBN 978-5-8459-1538-2
• Mark Graban. Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Satisfaction ISBN 978-1-4200-8380-4

Links

Specialized Resources:

• Herald Lin - Newspaper and online magazine about lean manufacturing
• Lean manufacturing and lean technologies - Everything about lean manufacturing tools, Kaizen philosophy, experience and perspectives of Lean in Russia
• Lean Books - ICSI Publishing
• Kaizen Blog - Lean Materials
• Practical Blog on Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement
• State advanced training courses in the field of lean manufacturing

Education:

• The Russian Lean School is a complex of educational services, including certification courses, additional professional education, kaizen tours, trainings and seminars by leading foreign and Russian experts. Organization and conduct of excursions
• MBA-Production Systems - MBA-Production Systems program at the Graduate School of Business of Moscow State University named after MV Lomonosov. State Diploma
• The Orgprom group of companies is a leading Russian provider providing a full range of services for the development of lean manufacturing
• - Lean Practice Institute. State Diploma
• Lean and ISO Certification - Relationship between ISO and Lean Systems.

Unions, social movements, public organizations:

• Interregional public movement “Lin-forum. Lean Manufacturing Professionals” unites the efforts of all lean manufacturing enthusiasts. Has over 900 members

Important articles and materials:

• Lean improvement and management balancing

Lean technologies are methods applied within the concept of lean production and lean management. They are a toolkit, the use of which can significantly increase the economic efficiency of production:

• downtime is reduced by 5-20 times,
• the number of marriage output is reduced by 5-50 times,
• the production cycle time is reduced by 10-100 times, etc.

Some of these methods (for example, 5s) can be applied locally in various industries: from manufacturing and construction to the service sector and state or municipal government. Some of the Lean technologies - for example, Kaizen - generally claim the status of an independent concept. However, it is more correct to consider Lean as an integral system, the technological elements of which are interconnected and often depend on each other. When in the second half of the 20th century the concept of Lean Production was created at Toyota factories (and subsequently supplemented by American theorists and practitioners), the introduction of one method required the development and implementation of the next method, without which the clarity of the previous one would have been impossible.

Two "pillars" of the Lean production system

The main task is to minimize the losses and costs that arise during the preparation and conduct of production operations. But this task arises as a result of achieving the main goal - creating value for the consumer in your product or service.

All processes are focused on the creation of this value, it (the value for the consumer) is the starting point of the system:

• first, the demand and needs of buyers are assessed,
• then those factors are determined that must be taken into account in order to satisfy the needs,
• then exactly as much is produced as needed to implement the task - the previous stage of the process replenishes as many elements as the next one “pulled out”,
• during the production process, losses are eliminated and the activity of all links in the chain is optimized.

Such a scheme gives rise to the need to use two basic systems, which Taiichi Ohno, one of the main authors and ideologists of the concept of lean manufacturing, called the basis of the Toyota Production System. We are talking about the Pull technology and the Just in Time tool.

"Pulling"

A method in which the withdrawals by subsequent stages of the production process will determine the quantity and rate of production in previous stages. A reverse control order arises, similar to the order that is used, for example, on supermarket shelves. There, a new product is substituted only when the already standing product has been withdrawn by the buyer. Moreover, the same amount of goods is substituted as was taken during the purchase. As a result, the shelves are always filled, but not overloaded.

Something similar happens in production, and, as in the supermarket example, the countdown is based on consumer demand. First, the needs of the buyer are assessed, and then a flow is planned that will meet these needs without surplus. If subsequent stages draw one unit in the stream, then the previous stage produces only one unit and only at the moment when it passed to the next stage.

The ideal case here is the setting of the flow "in one product" (eng. single piece flow). Until the consumer on the line pulls out the product, the supplier does not produce a new one. This means that there is no need to waste materials, energy resources, maintain warehouses with “extra” products, solve problems with logistics, etc. That is, losses and costs are reduced.

"Just in Time" (JIT)

In English-language literature, this material management practice is commonly referred to by the acronym JIT – Just-In-Time. With this technology, the components of the production process from the previous stage or from the factories of an external supplier appear at the workplace no earlier and no later than they are required.

It is clear that the lag in the provision of materials and parts is fraught with downtime, but the "advance" of the process is also less profitable compared to timely delivery. The introduction of the JIT practice leads to a sharp decrease in the volume of work in progress, a decrease in stocks in the warehouses of material and finished products. And this, in turn, reduces the cost of maintaining storage facilities and eliminates intermediate movements to the warehouse and back to the workshops.

The practice of "Just in time" implies the ability of the supplier to ensure the conditions for the uninterrupted and timely delivery of high-quality components. And this suggests that the approach to cooperation with such suppliers requires specific selection criteria. Therefore, when this practice is introduced, the number of external suppliers is reduced by more than two times, and strong economic ties are established with those who managed to pass the selection.

Kanban

Canban is a system that answers the question of how to ensure a continuous material flow without making inventory. In fact, this is a practical algorithm for implementing the Just in Time idea. To implement such a system, information cards are used - in Japanese, “kanban”, which are an order for the quantity of a particular product. The cards tell you where the item came from and where it should be delivered.

Thanks to this support, all departments receive material resources only in the amount that is needed to complete the order and by the deadline specified in the kanban. In the reverse order of management, the order from the end user is first submitted to the final stage, and there the required volume of work in progress, which comes from the penultimate stage, is calculated. And so on down the chain from the end to the beginning. And the card (kanban) here becomes a means of data transfer:

• The first type of cards contains information about the number of parts or semi-finished products that the next stage requests from the previous one (production order kanban).
• The second type of cards - withdrawal kanban - shows the actual movement of material resources (quantity and timing).

The movement of cards is not limited to one enterprise or its branches. When implementing a single system outside of one company, kanbans are also effectively used for external deliveries. With the introduction of this system, the number of daily supplies of resources increases by an order of magnitude. By comparison, MAP requires a full renewal of resources about 20 times a year, while Canban requires 200 or more.

Kaizen

The word "kaizden" is made up of two characters meaning "good" and "change". Movement for the better and constant good changes form a whole philosophical doctrine, which is materially based on employee incentive tools and a system for realizing their creative potential.

The system consists of five basic components:

1. Interaction.
2. Self-discipline.
3. Moral state (mental balance).
4. Quality circles.
5. Rationalization proposals for the improvement of processes.

Not all production cultures demonstrate readiness to change their thinking. To accept the concept of Kaizen, an employee must feel like an integral part of a large team. His word should be heard, and his opinion should be valuable. Under these conditions, the old strategies based on "staff turnover" and easy replacement of personnel are being revised. American researchers added an eighth to the seven classic types of waste (which included defects, unnecessary processing, transportation and relocation, waiting and overproduction with excess stocks): ignoring the potential of employees. In the Kaizen doctrine, this type of waste is excluded in the first place, which entails the exclusion of other costs.

Workplace: 5S and U-shaped cells

There are no trifles in the concept of lean manufacturing, and even the simplest principles of workplace organization are mandatory for all employees, regardless of their position.

5S

The names of the five principles that determine the state of the workplace, as well as discipline and responsibility to the entire workforce, begin with the letter "S". Each following principle is based on the observance of the previous ones, and the whole chain consists of the following elements:

1. Sorting. The task of the employee is to deal with the "trash" that interferes with the purity and transparency of the production process. Each employee must determine among all the things in the workplace what is really needed in everyday work, and what can be removed. Optional things are marked and moved to the sump.
2. Keeping order. “Order” here refers to the arrangement of tools or materials that will allow the employee to easily find what he needs, get it out and put it in place. It follows from this that it is wrong, for example, to put the instrument in a conspicuous place, but in such a way that a ladder will be needed to retrieve it each time. But the arrangement, in which the tool will be “at hand”, but pushed into a distant, invisible corner, is also considered incorrect. If the shift takes the same place of work, he simply will not be able to quickly find the "hidden". Therefore, often the introduction of the second principle involves the creation of additional racks and cells.
3. Keep clean. Simple cleaning of the workplace, in addition to the fact that it must be regular and scheduled, often requires additional planning and refinement of equipment. If, for example, according to the plan, you do not purchase detergent in advance and do not provide employees with it, there will simply be no place to get "chemistry" and a rag. And if a special locker is not built to store these accessories, then the place will be littered, which is contrary to the first two principles.
4. Standardization comes down to observing the previous principles and fixing their order at the level of mandatory rules. Firstly, written rules do not allow you to refuse duties (for example, by shifting responsibility for cleanliness to cleaners), and secondly, this facilitates staff rotation - each employee of the enterprise within the 5S system does the same thing, so it is easy for him comply with general clear rules.
5. Improvement. Over time, even good habits can be abandoned, and any transformation is rarely exhaustive. Therefore, the task of each employee of the enterprise is to improve in a disciplined manner in compliance with the established principles, without stopping there.

The 5S system is considered the most obvious during implementation, but this does not guarantee ease of implementation. The inertia of thinking in some production cultures prevents the adaptation of the system, starting from the first step: it seems to the employee that everything on the table is necessary for him and nothing can be abandoned.

The letter "U" in the name of the method is an ergonomic and rational form of equipment arrangement. The worker, once inside the "horseshoe", performs operations sequentially, moving from the end of one "leg" U to the end of the other.

Moreover, at the last stage of processing the part, the operator is closest to the first stage, so the transition time to the beginning of a new cycle is reduced.

At the “entrance” to the U-shaped cycle, the part is loaded for processing, then, for example, sharpening, rolling, heat treatment, cleaning and deburring at the “exit” follow. After that, the cycle starts again.

SMED

The abbreviation SMED stands for "Single Minute Exchange of Die" - "die change in a minute", and the technology is known as a way to quickly change equipment "one touch". The introduction of technology makes it possible to reduce the changeover cycle time by dozens of times.

Fixing and removing dies in the total volume of operations takes about 5% of the time, tool centering and placement - another 15%, trial processing and adjustment take about 50% of the time. If we consider all these processes as a set of external operations (where the preparation of dies and fixtures is 30% of the time) and a set of internal operations that take 70% of the time, then the task is reduced to the maximum transformation of internal actions into external ones.

This is achieved through the use of additional technical devices: the use of automatic clamps, functional fasteners that simplify replacement, etc. But despite some costs, the economic effect significantly exceeds the investment.

TPM

Total Productive Maintenance, or TPM system, is defined as a technology for the general maintenance of equipment. It is implemented through preventive maintenance of equipment and the early elimination of defects that can lead to serious damage.

Most often, control is carried out by the operator himself, but in cooperation with maintenance personnel and repairmen. Often, in order to assess the systemic nature of the problem and quickly make a decision, an authorized representative of the management is included in the group. The task of control is simplified by the fact that the main problems arise either when new equipment is running in, or when old equipment is worn out.

The main indicator of TPM is OEE - overall equipment effectiveness (Eng. Overall Equipment Effectiveness). There is a formula for calculating the OEE indicator, which, after calculations, can be expressed as a percentage.

Visibility: mapping, visualization, Cause Tree, etc.

In the Lean concept, everything should be clear at a glance and visually. For this, illustrations, maps and graphs are widely used.

• Mapping (drawing a map) the creation of a value stream is considered a simple but effective tool. It is a graphic diagram with information and material flows that connect the initial stages of production with products or services for the final consumer. Any operations in this scheme must create value for the product. Thanks to the visibility, it is clear in which “bottlenecks” this flow can be interrupted. When analyzing the map, losses and non-production costs are visible, which allows you to develop a plan to eliminate them.

• Cause tree is a structured graphical representation of the logical relationships between the consequences of identified problems and their causes. The resulting diagram looks like a tree, but sometimes the correlation is presented in the form of an ishikawa - a diagram in which all causes are grouped and belong to one of 5 established types: people, machines, materials, methods, environment.

• The Pareto chart is a tool for prioritizing problem solving. The Pareto principle, which says that 20% of efforts gives 80% of results, is implemented as follows. Two axes are drawn, where the X-axis determines the ease of eliminating the cause of the problem, and the Y-axis is the effect of its elimination. The coordinate grid is divided into quadrants (4 regions). And the numbered causes of problems are placed in these areas according to their correspondence along the X-Y axes. Those causes that are in the upper right quadrant are the easiest to eliminate and will have the greatest effect, so they are considered priority.

In addition to those listed, other tools support the visualization practice: Compatibility Matrix, Risk Matrix, etc.

Tools for collecting information

Each stage has its own optimal set of tools, although some tools are used in several processes at once or ensure the effectiveness of Lean implementation as a whole. At the stage of collecting information, novice optimizers are often recommended the following toolkit.

Mastering almost every one of these tools requires special training and, sometimes, the use of other, simpler tools that simplify the implementation of technology.

Practical nuances

Some seemingly obvious techniques often contain hidden complexities. So, it is advised to specially prepare for the interview, given that the interviewee may simply not understand vague questions, and it will not be possible to conduct a second interview due to the high employment of the worker. That is, in an hour of time (this is approximately 10 questions), you will need to find out about the problems of the staff, but the offer to simply talk about the problems will most likely confuse the employee. Therefore, it is advisable to concretize your questions by step by step analyzing all the daily activities of the employee. So in a natural conversation, “bottlenecks” of processes are discovered, but you need to catch a balance between controlled and relaxed conversation.

Moreover, in order to create a trusting relationship between the interviewer and the respondent, it is not recommended to use “frightening” words that have a negative connotation. It is believed, for example, that in Russia the word “optimization” has become one of these, since people associate layoffs and layoffs with optimization.

It is better to write down the responses of employees. If this cannot be done quickly, then it is better to involve another interviewer and / or use a voice recorder, about which the employee should be warned in advance. A partner in an interview will also help if the interview stalls or if the questioner is contrasted by the psychotype with the answerer.

With all the variety of methods, Lean technology experts note that mastering the tools of lean manufacturing is a necessary, but formal part of the implementation. The content part involves changing thinking, restructuring it under the paradigm of the Lean concept, understanding that all processes can be improved if the task is approached with a desire to fix the problem, and not with a desire to explain why this cannot be done.

Lean manufacturing identifies 7 types of waste:

Transportation– transportation of finished products and work in progress must be optimized in terms of time and distance. Each move increases the risk of damage, loss, delay, etc. and more importantly, the longer the product moves, the greater the overhead. Transportation does not add value to the product, and the consumer is not willing to pay for it.

Stocks - the more stocks are in warehouses and in production, the more money is "frozen" in these stocks. Inventory does not add value to a product.

Movements - unnecessary movements of operators and equipment increase the loss of time, which again leads to an increase in cost without increasing the value of the product.

Waiting - Products that are in work in progress and are waiting for their turn to be processed add value without increasing value.

Overproduction This type of loss is the most significant of all. Unsold products require production costs, storage costs, accounting costs, etc.

Technology - this type of loss is due to the fact that the production technology does not allow to implement all the requirements of the end user in the product.

Defects - each defect results in additional costs of time and money.

The types of waste that Lean considers are the same as in the Kaizen approach. Sometimes another type of waste is added to the Lean system - these are losses from the wrong placement of staff. This type of waste appears if the staff performs work that does not correspond to their skills and experience.

Lean Tools

Lean manufacturing is a logical development of many management approaches created in Japanese management. Therefore, the Lean system includes a large number of tools and techniques from these approaches, and often the management approaches themselves. It is quite difficult to list all the tools and techniques. Moreover, the composition of the tools used will depend on the conditions of the specific tasks of a particular enterprise. The main management tools and approaches that are part of the lean production tools are:

Quality management tools –