Information about lean manufacturing. Lean Manufacturing: A System for Rapid Growth in Production and Profits

The development of any company involves gradual access to a qualitatively new level. To do this, you need to change the usual and established way of managing, but not change it chaotically, but in accordance with a well-thought-out strategy. Profits will grow when production methods are maximally improved, guaranteeing income growth, and costs and losses are minimized. This technology, which has been around for a long time on the global market, is called “lean manufacturing.”

Let's consider the principles of this technique, the features of its application in domestic business, and methods of implementation in production. Let's discuss the obstacles that can stand in the way of an innovative entrepreneur striving for frugality. We present a step-by-step algorithm that can help in organizing new forms of business.

Lean manufacturing: how to understand it

"Lean– a special way of organizing activities, providing for the optimization of all business processes in order to find and eliminate hidden losses and improve production at all its stages.

This term is usually understood in two main meanings:

  1. A set of practical tools and business technologies to achieve your goals.
  2. A system of provisions close to philosophical, which characterizes a special attitude to the organization of activities at all levels - from management to ordinary workers.

In various literature this technology may be called:

  • BP (“lean production”);
  • The English equivalent is “lean production”;
  • Lean or Lean technology (tracing paper from the English term);
  • It can be written in English transcription, for example, “LEAN principles”.

In modern management, without the introduction of BP, not a single company can count on a leading position in its industry or even any serious competition.

Reasons for implementing lean manufacturing

The reason for restructuring activities according to the Lean system can be not only the expressed will of senior management. Common sense will tell you that management approaches need to be changed if an organization systematically:

  • deadlines for fulfilling orders are not met;
  • the cost of production turns out to be prohibitively high;
  • delivery times have been increased;
  • there is a large share of defects in products;
  • the share of costs in the financial balance is greater than acceptable;
  • productive capacity is limited – there is unfinished production.

In general, we can say that the introduction of BP will help solve the accumulated problems systematically, changing the working structure of the organization and qualitatively changing the situation for the better.

What can Lean technology bring?

To whatever extent the Lean manufacturing technology enters the life of a company, positive changes are guaranteed. World practice shows that effectively applied tools of this methodology can improve the situation in the following areas of management:

  • shorten the operating or production cycle;
  • optimize the organization of space in the office or production premises;
  • reduce the share of work in progress;
  • significantly improve product quality;
  • increase labor productivity and output volumes;
  • reduce the cost of maintaining fixed assets;
  • ensure greater independence of working groups;
  • make management more efficient.

Systemic improvements in other production areas are also possible.

ATTENTION! The main result from the introduction of BP will not be the number of tools used or even the financial indicator of income, but a significant increase in the competitiveness of the organization.

Where is it appropriate to apply Lean technology?

The Lean system can be used in absolutely any area of ​​production, trade, and service provision.

Initially, it was used in the automobile manufacturing industry, at giant factories such as Toyota. The effectiveness of the approach forced it to be adapted for other areas of activity. BP is most widespread in the following areas:

  • logistics (the name “Lean Logistics” stuck);
  • IT (here, too, the proper name “Lean Software Development” is used);
  • construction technologies (“Lean Construction”);
  • medicine (“Lean Healthcare”);
  • oil production;
  • education system;
  • credit organizations.

Whatever company applies the principles and methods of Lean technology, this will certainly bring positive changes and lead to further development. Naturally, it is necessary to make appropriate adjustments to the methods based on the characteristics of the industry.

Implementation or transformation?

The term “introduction of power supply”, which is used in domestic practice, is not entirely accurate in relation to this technology.

In the usual sense, “implementing” this or that initiative means changing the state from the original to the planned one. For example, the efficiency of equipment in production was estimated at 45%, and after “implementation” it should reach the level of 90%. Managers perceive management technologies as a kind of software that can be installed and thereby ensure planned performance.

This approach does not work with Lean technology. One can compare development according to this scheme with a movement not from the starting point to the end point, but with the unfolding of a spiral, which increases positive effects with each circle, for which it is necessary to increase the applied efforts.

IMPORTANT! The transformation must be permanent and systemic, affecting all areas, starting with the way of thinking of each employee. For this purpose, the technology has provided simple and understandable tools.

Principles of the LEAN system

Since BP is not only a set of tools, but also a way of thinking, it is necessary that the participants in the process are imbued with its basic principles:

  1. The value of the product for the consumer. The manufacturer must have a good understanding of what exactly the future buyer values ​​in his product. Then it will be possible to abolish or significantly reduce those actions that do not affect these values ​​in production.
  2. Only necessary actions. It is necessary to understand which production procedures are truly necessary and eliminate all possible losses of resources.
  3. Not a process, but a flow. Production technology should not be a set of procedures, but a continuous flow, where operations logically and immediately replace one another. It is important that each operation adds value to the product as defined in point 1.
  4. What you need, and as much as you need. Product release must meet the needs and requirements of end consumers.
  5. There is no limit to perfection. The implementation of the BP system is not completed; it involves constant work on further improvements in a constantly changing market situation.

Hidden losses

The Lean manufacturing system is extremely specific. In order to rebuild production, you first need to restore order in the existing system, eliminating the most obvious “leaks”, that is, minimizing hidden losses, eliminating unhelpful actions. Thus, efficiency will increase and management will improve in other areas. Therefore, it is necessary first of all to determine the main types of possible losses in production. The founders and followers of the Lean system identified several of their varieties:

  • re-production– losses due to excess production of products (increase the impact of other types of losses);
  • "expectant"– losses due to unproductive waiting (for various reasons, for example, downtime, late deliveries, setting up poor equipment, inefficient production cycle, etc.);
  • dynamic– losses caused by unproductive movements and inappropriate movements (searching for the necessary tools or documents, performing actions unnecessarily, improper organization of space);
  • "spare"– losses due to excessive amounts of inventory (parts, documents, raw materials, etc.), since resources need to be spent on storage, search, etc.;
  • quality– losses due to defective production results (large quantities of defects);
  • technological– losses due to technology not meeting the requirements for the final product;
  • psychological– losses due to creative burnout of employees.

LEAN tools

To achieve the goals declared by “Lean” production, an extensive system of various management tools is used:

  1. 5S concept. This tool is intended for the initial ordering of the main processes that cause hidden losses of certain varieties. The application of the method immediately has a positive impact on the quality of products, labor productivity, and the safety of its conditions. The name “5S” reflects the five main stages of minimizing hidden losses, each of which begins with the letter “C”:
    • sorting;
    • self-organization;
    • maintaining the workplace in proper condition;
    • standardization of the workplace;
    • improvement.
  2. JIT method. The abbreviation stands for “Just-in-Time”. Aimed at reducing the production cycle time, which, in turn, will significantly reduce the cost of production, and therefore the price of the product. The essence of the method is that materials and raw materials are provided only when and in the quantities they are needed for production. In a “running short” state, working losses will be significantly reduced compared to a constant excess of source material.
  3. Poka-Yoke method. Translation from Japanese of the expression is “error protection.” The point is to eliminate the very possibility of making a mistake. Everyone knows that prevention is always less complicated and costly than correction. Therefore, all the efforts of staff and management are directed towards creating procedures or using devices to prevent errors.
  4. Kaizen approach. The word can be translated as “improvement without stopping.” Its basis is a gradual transition from stage to stage, each of the subsequent ones provides for, albeit small, but changes for the better. At each stage, the current situation is first analyzed, then specific steps for improvement are proposed, which are implemented at the next stage.
  5. Kanban system. Also a Japanese method that involves control over the flow of materials and goods. It is based on the use of special work cards to accompany the product throughout its entire production cycle, each of which is called “kanban”. They come in two types:
    • selection cards - carry information about product parts that must come from other sites or from suppliers;
    • order cards - carry information about the movement of products or their parts within the organization (types, quantities), which should come from the previous stage of production.
  6. Andon mode. Provides transparency of the process for all production participants through visual control, allows you to request help in a timely manner or stop the process.
  7. SMED method.(“Single Minute Exchange of Die”, which can be translated as “delay is like death”) allows you to minimize time losses at intermediate stages of production.
  8. Quality control can be done using a varied palette of techniques:
    • check sheet;
    • control card;
    • stratification;
    • bar chart;
    • scatter diagram, Pareto, Ishikawa, etc.
  9. Quality control carried out using a variety of charts, graphs and matrices:
    • network diagram;
    • priority matrix;
    • connection diagrams, affinity, tree, matrix, etc.
  10. Quality analysis and planning can be performed using various procedures:
    • “5 Whys” method;
    • "house of quality";
    • FMEA analysis, etc.

This is not a complete list of Lean manufacturing tools. Since BP, as already mentioned, is not a set of technologies, but a system, the greatest effect will come from the integrated application of techniques, although each of them individually will have a positive impact on a particular industry.

Inhibiting stereotypes about LEAN technology

The main problems of implementing “Lean” technology in production are in the minds of management and staff. False beliefs prevent you from accepting new principles for building production and passing them through yourself.

Nevertheless, the LEAN principles are objective, and therefore stereotypes of thinking should not slow down the implementation of this progressive technology. What prevents the understanding of this system? Let's consider the main internal objections:

  1. “The enterprise has been operating for years, and is still working well, why make drastic changes?” The fact is that the market has changed rapidly in the last couple of decades. The old principles of production will not only not ensure the preservation of the level, but will inevitably pull it back.
  2. “All these foreign technologies will not work in our conditions, in our mentality.” Indeed, “Lean” manufacturing as an approach was developed in Japan, and was picked up and developed by the Western business world. But this approach is not something purely national; its principles are universal and are based on a resource conservation system as old as the world, simply “packed” into more modern tools.
  3. “It won’t take root, they’ll try and quit.” The system of continuous improvement is not an action, not a one-time introduction, but a complete restructuring of the foundation, a basic change in the work culture. If you start, the running mechanism of improvement will not stop: people quickly get used to good things.
  4. “I’m just a cog in the system, what can I do?” These are the thoughts of ordinary workers, ordinary personnel, who think that nothing depends on them. However, the very basis of the Lean system refutes this stereotype, proclaiming the principle: “Every drop can overflow a glass.” Thanks to the system, it is easy to answer the question: “What can I do?” and begin to act: organize your workplace, improve the operation of subordinate equipment, establish the necessary connections, etc.
  5. “Everything needs to be changed, it’s difficult and expensive.” In this case, only stereotypes need to be “broken.” The implementation of LEAN does not require additional investments, changes in personnel policies, or immediate restructuring of technological schemes. We are talking about a global change - in mentality, and it happens very gradually and gradually.

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 consumer requests and with fewer defects compared to products made using mass production technology. At the same time, the costs of labor, space, capital and time are reduced.

Lean-enterprise Lean Enterprise is a business system for organizing and managing product development, operations, supplier and customer relationships, using lean manufacturing principles, practices and tools to create clearly defined customer value (products and services with higher quality and fewer defects , with less labor, in a smaller production area, with less capital and in less time compared to the traditional mass production system).

Lean businesses involved in the production of a specific family of products operate under an agreement whereby they define the value of the product from the end customer's perspective, eliminate unproductive activities from the value stream, and implement activities that create value in a continuous flow as they are pulled. products by the client. The collaborating companies carry out the listed procedures continuously throughout the entire life cycle of a given product family.

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

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

“Creating clearly defined customer value” involves understanding what is of value to the consumer. And here you cannot rely solely on your own knowledge. Work should be carried out to identify all components of consumer value, sometimes directly with the end consumer of the product/service. This is a guarantee that consumer requirements will be satisfied most fully and at the lowest cost (excessive work is eliminated).

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 implementation of lean manufacturing is the best business card for introducing the company to partners and customers.

"With less labor, in a smaller production area, with less capital and in less time"- in the lean manufacturing concept this means exclusion all types of losses(overproduction, excessive processing, waiting losses, transportation losses, personnel movements, losses due to defects/rework, etc.).

2. The concept of lean production is based on five principles that define guidelines for managers in the transition to lean production:

Determining Value each product family from the customer's point of view.

Definition of all value stream stages for each product family and eliminating, where possible, non-value-added activities.

Building operations that create value in strict sequence ensuring smooth movement of the product in the flow, directed to the client.

Upon completion of flow formation – creating the ability to “pull” clients of value from the previous stage.

Upon completion of value determination, identification of value streams, elimination of stages that cause losses, as well as formation of a pull system– repeating the entire process again as many times as necessary to achieve a state of perfection in which absolute value is created and there is no loss.

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

Push production – processing of products in large batches at maximum speed based on forecast demand, followed by moving the 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 (refund/replenishment system) – type a pull system.

Sequential pull system – type B pull system.

Mixed pulling system – type c pulling 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. Typically, when products are removed from a supermarket by a downstream process, the consumer, the latter sends information about the withdrawal upstream to the upstream process using a special card (kanban) or other means.

Each process is responsible for replenishing the stocks of its supermarket, so operational management and the search for objects of continuous improvement (kaizen) is not difficult. However, its use is complicated when there are a large number of types of products produced.

Sequential pull system It is advisable to use when there is a large range of products produced by one process, i.e. when it is difficult or practically impossible to maintain a stock of each type of product in the supermarket. Products are essentially made to order, keeping overall system inventory to a minimum. A consistent system requires maintaining short and predictable lead times; one must have a good understanding of the pattern of orders received from the client. The functioning of such a system requires very strong leadership.

Mixed pull system– involves a combination of the two listed systems. It is advisable to use it when the 80/20 rule applies, i.e. when a small proportion of product types (approximately 20%) account for the largest portion of daily output (approximately 80%).

All types of products are divided into groups according to production volume: large 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 - a supermarket pull system. With a mixed pull system, it may be more difficult to manage improvement and identify deviations.

Lean ( lean production, lean manufacturing ), like many other concepts, are on everyone’s lips. What is it?

Lean manufacturing is an approach to managing and controlling the quality of manufactured products, which should ensure its continued competitiveness in the product market, as well as minimize costly investments in the manufacturing process.

Results of implementing lean manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is based on the application of special methods of the Toyota TPS system. The main ones include the following:

  • regular visual inspection;
  • accuracy and timeliness of execution of all instructions;
  • kanban;
  • operational readjustment of systems and other technologies.

The lean manufacturing system was founded and pioneered by scientists such as James Womack and Daniel Jones.
In fact, in a practical sense, such a methodology, whose authentic name is Lean Production, is a unique interpretation of Japanese technologies used in production management.

Lean manufacturing and implementation principles

The introduction of lean manufacturing is carried out by strictly following its basic principles:

  • determining the value of a product;
  • allocation of a thread for the process of its construction;
  • ensuring continuity and uninterrupted operation of the product creation procedure;
  • the consumer must “pull” the product;
  • total commitment to excellence.

Based on the basic postulates of this concept, first you should construct a special value stream map, using the trajectory along which information (source material) moves within the framework of the process you need. After a complete analysis of all production activities is carried out, additional technical reserves will be identified that can be used to create value, and those stages that block the productivity of its production will be highlighted.

Lean manufacturing tools in the process of their use should bring the goal closer - to organize an uninterrupted flow of single goods. The concept is universal; it is applicable both to the design stage and to the procedure for accepting additional orders for products, or to the production process itself.
The organized flow of single products as a result provides the consumer with a set of all goods that meet his needs.

One of the conditions for adequate functioning of the uninterrupted production system is a significant reduction in the time period spent on readjusting working equipment. It is also impossible to create the correct economical production of goods without maximizing the speed of conversion of raw materials into a valuable consumer product, including bypassing the reduction of the existing level of production inventories.

Only at the moment when any production organization learns to correctly define value, design the flow of its creation, uninterruptedly add this value to the production product at each stage of the flow, and also allow the consumer to pull it out of the organization itself - only then will all direct participants in the process come to an unambiguous and indisputable conclusion: there is no limit to perfection, and production improvement can occur endlessly.

Lean manufacturing - what to focus on first

Manufacturers can put a limitless amount of effort into creating a truly ideal product - minimizing labor costs, reducing production space, reducing the cost of goods, and as a result, this can bring them as close as possible to what any consumer really strives for. Let us recall that excellence is the last and, in fact, the main principle in the concept of lean manufacturing.

In modern practice, this management technology for quality control of products is actively used by numerous Western enterprises. In order for efforts to implement lean manufacturing to achieve maximum results with minimal investments, I recommend starting with a general analysis of the situation at the enterprise using the tools of Eli Goldratt's theory of constraints. This will allow you to begin by limiting work to one of the most problematic areas, which is holding back the work of the entire enterprise.

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To reduce costs, lean manufacturing principles are often used, which involve eliminating activities that do not add customer value. When optimizing a business, all employees must be clearly customer-oriented. Such a system of approach can not only change the situation for the better, but also establish a completely new way of life.

Historical data

The principles of lean production at the enterprise were founded in the middle of the last century by a Japanese engineer. A significant contribution to the development of the concept was made by his colleague, who created the fast changeover technology. The first of them knew ways to eliminate losses, and the second knew options for putting them into practice.

Later, American scientists studied the system and began to actively use it under their own name. At first, the concept was applied only in industries with discrete production. These include, for example, the automotive industry. However, gradually the principles were able to be adapted to process production. Later, the basic ideas began to be actively used in trade and other areas of life.

The main meaning of the concept

The starting point of lean manufacturing principles is to assess the value of a product for a specific consumer at each stage of its creation. The main goal of the concept is to create a situation in which continuous elimination of losses will be ensured. Actions that consume resources to one degree or another, but do not create values, are removed.

For example, the average consumer does not need the manufactured product or its elements to be stored in a warehouse. However, with a conventional management system, all costs associated with various indirect costs are passed on to the potential client. The concept involves dividing all enterprise activities into separate operations. Processes that do not add value are systematically eliminated from them.

Existing types of losses

The use of lean manufacturing principles should lead to the prevention of major losses. They should not only be eliminated, but also prevent the possibility of their occurrence in the future. The main task of management is to optimize the production process.

There are seven types of losses associated with the following points:

  • overproduction;
  • waiting time;
  • the presence of unnecessary processing stages;
  • manufacturing of defective products;
  • making unnecessary movements;
  • the existence of excess stocks;
  • transportation.

Overproduction is considered the main problem. One of the easiest ways to increase profits is to increase productivity. At the same time, they often forget that the quantity of manufactured products is determined by demand. Sooner or later, manufactured goods accumulate in large volumes in the warehouse.

Review of the basic principles of lean manufacturing

The concept is aimed at organizing an optimal production process. One of the famous books provides information on how this can be achieved. 5 principles of lean manufacturing are taken into account in stages:

  1. Determining the value of the manufactured product.
  2. Establishing the flow of value formation of the manufactured product.
  3. Ensuring process continuity.
  4. Providing the consumer with the ability to pull the product.
  5. Commitment to improvement.

This includes achieving high quality and forming long-term relationships with end consumers. This is achieved by sharing risks, monetary costs and information sources.

The pull principle in lean manufacturing involves supplying material resources to another process operation as needed. In this case, there is no strict schedule for the movement of material flows.

Basic methods of achievement

There are a number of tools through which the concept is brought to life:

  1. Kanban is a system for organizing and supplying a production process. With its help, you can transfer the product to the next technological stage just in time. With this option, there is a balance between supply and consumer demand.
  2. Kaizen is a special Japanese practice that emphasizes continuous improvement of technological processes. Not only production, but management is improving. Modernization affects workers and management, and does not require large material costs.
  3. Poka-eke is a way to prevent mistakes. The method involves protecting items of use from careless human actions during the production process.
  4. Rapid changeover is a method that involves reducing various costs and losses when re-equipping equipment. Initially, such a system found application in optimizing operations related to the replacement of dies and the subsequent readjustment of certain devices.
  5. The principles of lean manufacturing 5S allow you to organize your workspace as efficiently as possible. The system presupposes a clear separation of things, their proper storage, standardization, strict adherence to established rules, and maintenance of cleanliness. The concept is aimed at reducing the number of accidents, improving the quality of products, creating a comfortable microclimate, improving labor productivity and unifying workplaces.
  6. The total equipment maintenance system consists of a number of techniques that are necessary to ensure that the machine is always ready for operations. The overall effectiveness of the mechanisms used is calculated taking into account the degree of readiness, level of intensity and quality.
  7. One-piece flow allows materials, services, and invoices to be processed as they are received. In some cases, the system may not be very profitable or physically impossible.

Implementation phases

There are special principles for implementing lean manufacturing. They can be divided into three main phases, which must be implemented in a certain sequence:

  1. Demand research process. First you need to determine which category consumers belong to and what requirements they have. Of the tools used, the best ones are calculations of pitch, takt time, as well as buffer and insurance reserves.
  2. The stage of achieving continuity of value flow. The phase involves taking certain measures to provide consumers with the necessary products in a timely manner and in the required quantities. To do this, ensuring balance in the loading of production lines, planning work areas and a number of other measures are carried out.
  3. The smoothing phase allows you to achieve a balanced distribution of the volume of work carried out directly over certain time intervals (by day, month). At this stage, logisticians are involved and boards are used to consider new ideas.

Under what conditions can implementation be successful?

For the implementation of lean manufacturing principles in an enterprise to be successful, certain conditions must be met:

  1. First of all, a plan for training and advanced training of employees should be established, taking into account the specifics of the business entity. All organizations have different resources, financial capabilities and needs. All people have different knowledge, skills and experiences. When planning the learning process, all this should be taken into account.
  2. When implementing the concept, it is necessary to use a full range of tools and resources that are suitable for the majority of employees. Some people prefer to attend training courses, while others prefer to observe the activities of their colleagues.
  3. Information should be obtained through benchmarking. The employee training stage involves the development of creative abilities. It is important to teach employees to go beyond the boundaries of a specific enterprise in order to effectively conduct business. They must be able to find options for applying fresh ideas in their own organization.

Manifestation in industries

The main principles of lean manufacturing are clearly visible in many industries. The concept allows you to increase the efficiency of the work process:

  1. Lean healthcare is a set of measures that reduces the time spent on medical staff. This does not apply to direct patient care.
  2. Lean construction is a special management strategy aimed at increasing the efficiency of construction of objects. Each stage is considered separately.
  3. Lean logistics is a pull system that combines the entire network of suppliers participating in the value stream.

Final part

Competent implementation of the basic principles of lean production at an enterprise provides an opportunity to improve the efficiency of its work. Business can be optimized only through maximum focus on certain categories of consumers and the involvement of all employees in this process.

production fayol management lean

Lean manufacturing (hereinafter referred to as lean, lean management, lean production) is a system of measures aimed at reducing costs and improving the quality of production processes, which originated in the mid-twentieth century at Toyota and were subsequently developed by American researchers.

Goals of Lean Manufacturing:

  • 1) reduction of costs, including labor;
  • 2) reducing the development time for new products;
  • 3) reducing the time required to create products;
  • 4) reduction of production and warehouse space;
  • 5) guarantee of delivery of products to the customer;
  • 6) maximum quality at a certain cost, or minimum cost at a certain quality.

The main elements of the Lean Production philosophy:

  • 1) elimination of losses in all their forms;
  • 2) involving all personnel of the enterprise in improving production processes;
  • 3) the idea that improvement should be carried out continuously.

Toyota has identified seven types of losses that are typical for various types of enterprises, both manufacturing and service. The fight for elimination became the basis of the philosophy of "thrift".

  • 1) Production of excess products. According to Toyota experts, the largest source of waste is producing more products than is necessary at the next stage of the enterprise's production process.
  • 2) Downtime for organizational or technical reasons. Metrics commonly used to measure equipment and worker downtime are equipment efficiency and worker productivity. Less obvious is the downtime of a machine operator working on unfinished products that are not needed at the moment.
  • 3) Transport. The movement of materials and parts throughout the enterprise, as well as double or triple reloading (transshipment) of unfinished products do not add value to the final product of the enterprise. You can reduce the volume of losses if you change the layout of technological equipment in the workshop, reducing the distances between technological operations, establishing rational routes for transporting raw materials and semi-finished products, and choosing the correct location of workplaces.
  • 4) Technological process. The source of losses can be the technological process itself. Some manufacturing operations are the result of poor design of product components or material processing processes, or poor equipment maintenance. Therefore, in the process of improving the organization of production, they can be painlessly simply eliminated.
  • 5) Inventories. Any reserves should cause the management of the enterprise to strive to find opportunities for their liquidation. However, you need to start with the reasons that cause the appearance of stocks: by eliminating these reasons, you can achieve a reduction in the volume (or complete elimination) of stocks.
  • 6) Movements of the employee in the workplace. From the outside looking in, an employee may appear busy, but in reality, their work does not create any added value. An extensive source of reducing losses arising from unnecessary movements is simplification of work.
  • 7) Defective products. Production losses as a result of poor product quality are often quite significant. The overall cost of maintaining product quality is much higher than is generally believed, and it is therefore important to identify the causes of these costs.

Jeffrey Liker examined Toyota's manufacturing experience along with James Womack and Daniel Jones. In the book “The Toyota Way: 14 principles of management of the world's leading company,” he identified the eighth type of loss: unrealized creative potential of employees (loss of time, ideas, skills, opportunities for improvement and experience gained due to inattention to employees whom you have no time to listen to).

Chet Marchwinski and John Shook point out two more sources of loss - mura and muri, which mean "unevenness" and "overload" respectively.

Mura - unevenness in the performance of work, such as a fluctuating schedule of work caused not by fluctuations in end-user demand but rather by the characteristics of the production system, or an uneven pace of work to complete an operation, causing operators to rush and then wait. In many cases, managers can eliminate unevenness by leveling out planning and paying close attention to the pace of work.

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

In the book Lean Manufacturing: How to Eliminate Waste and Make Your Company Prosper, James Womack and Daniel Jones outline the following lean management principles:

  • 1) Determining the value of the product.
  • 2) Determination of the product value stream.
  • 3) Building a continuous flow of product value creation.
  • 4) Pulling of the product by the consumer.
  • 5) Striving for excellence.

In particular, the JIT system is capable of providing continuous flow, but only if the changeover time is significantly reduced. Reducing the time for equipment changeover means reducing the time for transition from one type of activity to another. This makes it possible to make a little of some parts, re-adjust the machine, make a little more of other parts, and so on. That is, parts can (and should) be produced only when required by the next production stage.

The basic principles of Lean manufacturing imply the existence of certain tools with which companies create their production processes.

Taiichi Ohno wrote that Toyota's production system is based on two pillars: the jidoka system and just-in-time.

Just-in-time delivery is a planning and management method, as well as a production philosophy, the goal of which is to immediately satisfy consumer demand with high quality and without waste.

The term “just in time” delivery literally reflects the content of this concept. It means releasing and providing goods and services exactly when they are needed: neither earlier, because then they will be waiting in inventory, nor later, because then customers will have to wait for them. In addition to the time factor contained in the concept of JIT, this concept also includes quality and efficiency requirements.

How does the JIT approach differ from traditional approaches to production organization? The traditional approach to organizing production assumes that each stage of the production process “puts” the produced products into inventory. This stock is a buffer inventory or safety stock for the subsequent production stage, located “downstream” in the overall process. This subsequent production step takes work-in-process inventory from inventory, processes it, and transfers it to the next buffer inventory. These inventories act as boundaries separating each production stage from neighboring stages. Buffer stocks make each production stage relatively independent, so that if Stage A stops working for some reason (e.g. equipment failure), Stage B can continue to operate for at least for some time. Section "C" will be able to continue operating even longer because it is supported by two buffer stocks, and it will stop operating only after all of this stock has been used up. However, this relative isolation comes at the cost of inventory creation (wasting working capital) and reduced throughput (slower response to customer requests). This is the main argument against the traditional approach to organizing production.

Products produced during just-in-time production are fed directly to the next stage of production. Now problems arising at any stage of production have a different impact on the entire production process. For example, if stage A stops producing products, stage B will notice this immediately, and stage C will notice it very quickly. The problem that occurred in stage A now quickly becomes known to the entire system, as this problem affects the system as a whole. As a result of this, responsibility for solving the problem is now assigned not only to personnel “A”, but extends to the entire personnel of the enterprise. This greatly increases the likelihood that the problem will be resolved quickly because it is too important to ignore. In other words, by preventing the accumulation of inventories between production stages, the enterprise receives a mechanism for increasing the internal efficiency of the enterprise.

Jidoka (autonomization) is the introduction of human intelligence into automatic devices that can independently detect a defect, then immediately stop the production line and signal that help is needed. Autonomy serves a dual role. It eliminates overproduction, an important component of production losses, and prevents the production of defective products.

In addition to these two systems, the following elements of lean manufacturing can be distinguished: kanban, the “five S” system, total productive maintenance (TPM), quick changeover (SMED), kaizen.

The term "kanban" in Japanese terminology refers to a card or signal. This card is a simple management tool; it is used to enable (signal) the flow of materials in a pull-type control system such as that used in a JIT system. There are different types of kanban signs: movement kanban or motion kanban. The transfer kanban is used to signal to the previous section that material can be removed from inventory and sent to the next section.

A production kanban is a signal to the production process that a part or unit can be released for subsequent transfer to inventory.

Vendor Kanban is used to signal the supplier to route material or parts to a specific area of ​​production. In this respect, it is similar to movement kanban, but is typically used when interacting with external suppliers rather than internally.

Whatever type of kanban system is used, the basic principle is always the same: receiving a kanban triggers the movement, production or delivery of one unit of product or a standard package of such units. If two kanbans are received, this is a signal to move, produce or deliver two units of product or two standard packages of product, and so on.

There are two rules that govern the use of the Kanban system. They are also known as one and two card systems. The one-card system is most often used because it is the simplest. It only applies the movement kanban (or the seller's kanban for receiving materials from an external source). The two-card system uses kanban for movement and production.

The “five S” system implies a set of basic rules for reducing losses:

  • 1) Perform sorting (Serti - Seiri). Remove what is not needed and keep what is needed.
  • 2) Create your own workplace (Seiton - Seyton). Arrange your tools in an order where they are easily accessible when needed.
  • 3) Keep your work area clean (Seiso). Keep tools clean and tidy; The workplace should be free of debris and dirt.
  • 4) Standardize (Seiketsu - Seiketsu). Establish a norm in everything that meets the standard.
  • 5) Learn to maintain a certain order (Shitsuke - Shitsuke). Develop a need to maintain a standard order and pride in it.

These rules focus on external order, a certain organization in the arrangement of tools and other necessary items, cleanliness, and standardization of the work environment. They are designed to eliminate all possible losses associated with uncertainty, waiting, and searching for necessary information, which create instability in the work environment. By eliminating everything unnecessary, as well as keeping tools and surrounding things clean and tidy, you can achieve the necessary order and ensure that the necessary things are always located in the same place. This alone makes any job easier and reduces the time it takes to complete it.

The goal of total productive maintenance (TPM) is to eliminate the variability in process conditions caused by unplanned equipment shutdowns. This is achieved by involving all staff in identifying opportunities to improve equipment maintenance. Persons responsible for this process are encouraged to accept responsibility for the use of the equipment, perform routine maintenance and carry out simple repairs. With such an organization of equipment maintenance, operation specialists can get more time to improve their skills and deepen their professional training, which is necessary to create higher-level service systems and improve the quality of service for larger operation systems.

Quick changeover (SMED) deals with equipment changeover time (the time required to change from one type of work to another). Reducing equipment changeover time can be achieved in various ways, for example: reducing the time spent searching for the necessary tools and equipment, solving problems in advance that may delay changeover, and constantly using the same techniques when changing over.

The Kaizen system focuses on continuous improvement of production processes, development, supporting business processes and management, as well as all aspects of life. In Japanese, the word "kaizen" means "continuous improvement." Based on this strategy, everyone is involved in the improvement process - from managers to workers, and its implementation requires relatively small material costs. The Kaizen philosophy suggests that our life as a whole (work, public and private) should be focused on continuous improvement (Fig. 10). The connection between Kaizen and other Lean Manufacturing tools is shown in Fig. eleven.

Rice.


Rice.

To implement Lean Manufacturing, James Womack proposed the following algorithm (Fig. 12):

  • 1) Find an agent of change, a leader. Typically this role is filled by one of the company's leaders. It is only important that this is one of the leaders who can take responsibility for the coming changes.
  • 2) Obtain the necessary knowledge on the lean production system. The change agent must be so imbued with the ideas of lean production that they must become second nature to him, otherwise all transformations will immediately stop at the first drop in production. Nowadays there are many ways to gain knowledge. These include literature, of which there is now no shortage, training courses (seminars, trainings) organized by numerous consulting companies. It can be very useful to visit one of the enterprises that have successfully implemented lean manufacturing.
  • 3) Use or create a crisis that will become leverage. It is the crisis that serves as a good motive for introducing the Lean Production concept in an organization. Unfortunately, many business leaders realize the need to use a lean approach only when faced with serious problems.
  • 4) Describe value streams. First, reflect the current state of material and information flows. Then create a future state map from which operations and processes that do not create value for the customer will be excluded. After this, determine a plan for the transition from the current state to the future.
  • 5) Start as quickly as possible with activities that are accessible, but important and visible to everyone. In many cases, it is recommended that the transformation begin with the physical production process, where the results of the change are most visible. In addition, you can start with processes that, although extremely important for the company, are nevertheless performed very poorly.

Rice.

  • 6) Strive to get the results of the work done as soon as possible. Immediate feedback is one of the most important characteristics of the Lean Production concept. Employees must see with their own eyes how new methods produce results. It is psychologically important for them to see that the organization is beginning to really change.
  • 7) As soon as a convenient opportunity arises, move on. Once the first local results are achieved, changes can begin to be made in other parts of the value stream. The scope of lean manufacturing should be expanded. For example, transfer the methodology from production to offices, use the practice of continuous improvement (kaizen).