Does your workplace focus on lean manufacturing principles? Even if the phrase “lean manufacturing” isn’t used around your facility, there’s a good chance its underlying principles are indeed guiding many of the processes used to increase productivity and efficiency while simultaneously reducing waste.
The Association for Supply Chain Management outlines the five main principles of lean manufacturing:
- Value: “In most cases, customers are focused on receiving a specific amount of value that coincides with the price of a given product, and by eliminating wasteful practices, it’s possible to leverage lean manufacturing principles to increase value while providing the best possible price.”
- Value Stream: “After reviewing the complete life cycle of a…product…organizations need to be able to identify areas where improvements can be made and where waste can be reduced. Each stage of the process…should be mapped and analyzed to determine weak points that can be improved.”
- Flow: “Develop a method of ensuring a continuous flow of manufacturing and fulfillment so that products are produced at or near the same rate that they are required…A significant source of waste is the disruption of manufacturing due to inaccurate supply and demand planning.”
- Pull: “Establish a pull system that eliminates waste by only triggering the production of items when there is demand for them…That said, there needs to be a good balance, as too much supply and not enough demand can lead to…more waste and less value delivered to customers.”
- Perfection: “By collecting and analyzing data…organizations can eliminate weak links and create a far more streamlined process that enhances the value for customers and reduces both cost and waste…Perfection is perhaps unattainable…but there is always room for…improvement.”
Several, if not all, of these principles probably sound familiar. They are used daily in thousands of companies across the country and around the world. Companies should always seek to improve productivity and efficiency while eliminating waste. Incorporating lean manufacturing principles is one powerful step toward reaching that goal.
When implementing lean manufacturing principles, however, it’s important to adopt the proper mindset. In a recent Industry Week article by Carl Livesay, the author argues that incorporating lean manufacturing principles should be thought of as “a lifestyle…rooted in culture” rather than a journey.
According to Livesay, “[a] journey implies there is a finite destination or finish line.” However, when it comes to implementing lean manufacturing principles, the necessary lifestyle/culture “changes are not a destination; rather, they are the result of transition.”
Before that transition can begin, though, Livesay believes companies must “have a positive corporate culture and trust [that] is clearly established between the leadership and the workforce.” When those are in place, companies can move forward with a transition to lean plan “that suits their specific business needs and the needs of their team.”
Livesay warns that the transition to lean will come with many challenges. However, he notes that, “[w]hile frustrating, the way the company handles challenges determines the depth and stability of the business culture and its lean lifestyle.”
Here are a few pointers Livesay believes will “increase the probability of success” if followed by those leading the transition to lean:
- Consistent Leadership Presence: “Leadership should make themselves accessible to everyone on the team. When team members want to talk, it is important that the leadership listens.”
- Positive Reinforcement Goes a Long Way: “Small improvements matter because the people who make the improvements matter. Leadership should find three good things to say every day and be genuine.”
- Identify & Address Failures Promptly but Carefully: “Address it quickly and take corrective action in a positive light. When addressing failures, avoid blaming people at all cost. Suggest an alternative path that may have yielded a more desirable outcome.”
Livesay concludes that “[n]o one or two things will assure progress is sustained. Rather, it is a combination of trust, positive communication, sincerity and consistency. These are the same essential elements that will assure overall success. Think of lean as a lifestyle choice that slowly becomes the new normal.”
If you think you’re ready to move forward with a transition to lean manufacturing—or if your current workers need a refresher on lean manufacturing principles—you may be wondering how to get started. Fortunately, you don’t have to recreate the wheel. When it comes to lean manufacturing training, Amatrol’s Lean Manufacturing eLearning courses provide comprehensive learning in an easy-to-use, convenient format.
Visit Amatrol online to learn more about its eLearning courses. For more information about how Amatrol can help you inspire and train the next generation of workers, contact an expert at Amatrol today!
