Change can feel like a leap into the unknown, a gamble fraught with risks. What if it flops? What if it dents our income or threatens our job security? It’s no wonder we humans cling to the familiar, preferring the devil we know over the one we don’t. Yet, when it comes to process improvement, there’s a flip side: it’s not just a necessity, but an exhilarating … [Read more...]
The japanese language contains a word that is so powerful and expressive that it has gained widespread acceptance in the manufacturing industry: muda. Muda means waste, but it's more than that. It embodies the full essence of inefficiency, uselessness, and squandered potential. The word muda has become a cornerstone of lean manufacturing, which originated in Japan … [Read more...]
In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, efficiency is the heartbeat of success. Every process, every movement, and every second counts toward delivering products on time and within budget. At the core of this intricate dance lies a concept known as takt time—a term derived from the German word "Takt," meaning rhythm or beat. Often misunderstood or overlooked, takt … [Read more...]
In the world of lean manufacturing, few concepts are as intriguing and transformative as Jidoka. Often overshadowed by its more famous counterpart, Just-In-Time, Jidoka remains a hidden gem that holds the key to unlocking unparalleled efficiency and quality in production systems, a critical stepping stone in creating high performance cultures. This japanese principle … [Read more...]
Kaizen is a component of Lean Manufacturing which involves the steady, systematic removal of waste from the production line. In a lean facility, the components of the manufacturing process that produce value (the "value stream") are identified, and everything that is not absolutely necessary to produce that value is considered muda, japanese for waste. Kaizen, … [Read more...]
A value stream map is a tool used in lean manufacturing to identify and communicate the value-producing processes within a factory. Value stream maps utilize a standard set of industry recognized symbols to map out the plant's processes, from raw material to finished product. Value stream maps are used to improve the plant's processes, perform continuous improvement … [Read more...]
Value stream maps are diagrams used in lean manufacturing which identify each step of the manufacturing process. They are used to determine the value stream, that is, the steps that result in the creation of value. Their purpose is to visualize the manufacturing process so that anything that is not necessary to create the product of value can be eliminated. This is … [Read more...]
Starting from a point of almost complete ruin after World War II, the Toyota Motor Company rose to become the largest car maker in the world in the mid-2000's. This resulted in many inquiries into the source of their success. Starting in 1988, the engineers and architects of Toyota's success began to open up. As a result, the Toyota Production System (TPS) has evolved … [Read more...]
Lean manufacturing transformed the manufacturing world during the 2000's. Invented in Japan, where there are neither natural resources nor excess space for production, manufacturing needed to be lean, mean, and efficient to provide value. In turn, the success of japanese manufacturing resulted in an explosion of interest from around the world. The Toyota Production … [Read more...]
Lean Project Management is the application of lean concepts to project management methodologies. Lean is a method used in the manufacturing industry which results in significant increases in product quality and production efficiency. Project management, on the other hand, seeks to produce one single product or service (or just a few) while satisfying stakeholders and … [Read more...]
