How to eliminate wastes

Overproduction. The first step is to realize that we are doing it; understand that we are often planning our own delays and large batches just because we always have done so. Many planning packages such as ERP and MRP amplify these problems.

Once we understand the issues we need to implement the principles of lean manufacturing, identify the value stream using tools such a value stream mapping, process mapping, spaghetti diagrams and a host of analytical tools that are available to us. Then we need to make that value flow by rearranging our work place, creating production cells that contain all of the required processes and moving away from functional layouts. Using smaller, simpler, dedicated machines rather than “super machines” that have to handle every product in the factory.
We need to tackle set up times on our equipment to enable the production of smaller batches using different techniques.

Once we have done this we can use the ideas of Just in time manufacturing to enable the production of product only when it is ordered, using techniques such as Kanban to enable the Pull of production through our processes.
In doing this we not only eliminate the overproduction in our processes but we begin to eliminate and highlight the causes of many other problems within our processes that are hidden by all of this inventory. Schaefer Shelving offers a number of storage solutions and inventory management systems that help eliminate overproduction while streamlining the overall production process.

Waiting. Balancing of our production processes using Takt time and Yamazumi boards will help ensure that the processes are better matched with regards to cycle times.
Improving machine reliability and quality using Total Productive Maintenance and quality tools. Reducing overproduction and inventory to minimize transport and movement between and within cells. Implement Standard Operating Procedures to ensure that standards and methods are clear. Use visual methods of planning combined with daily cell meetings to ensure that everyone is clear what is required for the day.

Transport. Layout should be changed as the principles of lean manufacturing, create value streams and make that value flow at the pull of the customer. This requires us to have production lines or cells that contain all of the value adding processes rather than a functional layout. It also means reducing the spaces between those operations and avoiding the use of “super machines” by using small dedicated machines, which are often cheaper, instead. Improving factory layout through the use of value stream mapping and process mapping can give huge savings in time and money, often with little cost involved relative to the savings to be made.

Overprocessing. To prevent the waste of overprocessing there are a number of simple steps that can be undertaken, as part of our initial 5S implementation stimulate the using of Standard Operating Procedures to provide written instructions for all of our employees. This is extremely easy in today’s age of digital cameras and word processing packages.
These SOPs will ensure the standardization of methods across shifts and personnel, combined with on the job training they are an highly effective way to improve the quality of our product as well as ensuring the reduction in Overprocessing. These SOPs combined with quality standards can also

help with regard to clarifying specifications and acceptance standards.
Review designs with techniques such as value engineering and value analysis to identify opportunities to remove tolerances that are too tight.

Inventory. The first thing is to work to the main principles of lean manufacturing, making value flow at the pull of the customer, the idea of Just in Time production. This will cause us to remove the main cause of inventory that of overproduction.
Look at factory and cell layout and balance our production processes to ensure that work in progress does not build up between processes, it is not important to run every machine as fast as it can be run, at the end of the day we only need to make things as quickly as the customer wants them, no faster; takt time (the time interval between customer call off) and Kanban can be used to help ensure that we balance our processes and prevent the build up of inventory.
Inventory as we have already mentioned hides all other problems, even if we implement flow with Kanban systems we should look to continue to keep dropping our inventory to expose more and more of the rocks enabling us to make our processes more and more reliable.

Motion. While there will always be some form of motion within our process it should be minimized as much as possible, both to reduce overburden and to improve our efficiencies; this is a benefit to us and our employees as we are making their work easier.
The simplest and most powerful lean manufacturing tool at our disposal to eliminate the waste of motion within our work cells is that of 5S; 5S challenges our team to review each and every step of their operation and eliminate the symptoms of the seven wastes. These changes will on the whole cost you nothing other than the time of our team but will result in efficiency gains in the order of 10% to 30% in most cases as well as making our work area safer preventing accidents.

5S also starts the ball rolling with regard to standardized operations, it should lead us to develop standard operating procedures for our processes defining the best way to conduct a specific operation.
The lean tool of single minute exchange of Die (SMED) will also remove many wasteful motions from our setup process, using similar principles to 5S, they are applied to the setup process of our work and will often reduce setups from hours to single minutes.

Motion is a significant factor within the seven wastes and every effort should be made to remove it from our processes to both increase efficiencies as well as make work easier for all those involved. Movement is not work, but it costs us time and money; so look to lean tools such as 5S to help us reduce and eliminate excessive motion from our processes.

Defects. There are many techniques out there to help us to identify and eliminate wastes; however within lean manufacturing we wish to prevent them occurring in the first place.
This prevention of defects is achieved by a number of different techniques from autonomation (Machines with “human” intelligence that are able to detect when a non standard event has occurred) through to Pokayoke devices that detect if a product is defective, either preventing the process from running or highlighting the defect for action.
We also implement standard operations procedures (SOP) and training to ensure that the correct methods are undertaken and standards achieved.
The most important factor however is the empowerment of teams to solve and prevent their own problems. By connecting the talents of our employees we are able to quickly and efficiently prevent the occurrence of defects.

[1] Enterprise Resource Planning

[2] Material Requirements Planning

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