Lean manufacturing encompasses a broad array of industrial philosophies, concepts, and strategies. It can be intimidating to first-time learners. As a result, it can be hard to know where to start. We can help with that. This two-part blog series was created to give you an overview of Lean manufacturing and its foundational philosophies in a two digestible spoonfuls. Lean manufacturing is a business model that seeks to…
Gemba walks are an extremely valuable tool for managers. When successfully utilized, these walkscan help leaders understand the processes in the production line and see firsthand how the work floor is operating. Planning for a Gemba walk can seem a bit daunting, but with these four steps to success, you can ensure your walk will be effective and beneficial for all. 1. Know the Purpose Before you…
Kaizen is a Japanese term that literally means improvement – improvement in your personal life and your working life. When a company adopts the kaizen model, it strives to improve its processes in small but meaningful ways, ultimately changing for the better. Kaizen is not just a one-time improvement, but rather a commitment to excellence by constantly testing and improving the workflow, day in and day out.…
The word gemba is a Japanese term that is used as part of many industries manufacturing strategies. The term means ‘The Real Place.’ The concept behind a gemba strategy is that supervisors, manager, and others who may be in charge of different areas need to be spending time in ‘the real place’ where the work gets done. In a manufacturing facility, for example, a supervisor following gemba techniques will…
As a management philosophy, lean manufacturing is all about continuous elimination and reduction of waste in the production and business processes. Small, incremental improvements constantly take place in an organization so that it helps lower costs, increase productivity and maintain top quality products. All these things could be achieved along with profits, and at the same time, put waste to a minimum. For the most part, lean…
In any organization, there will always be problems and issues. It’s a part of the overall process of doing work, and so are the responses put in place to address them. This is why many popular improvement methods and systems abound because they are available for any organization that might need them. One of the favored process improvement methods is Six Sigma, a set of procedures developed…
The need for continuing improvement in the workplace grew over the years with new methods and systems introduced by organizational experts. One hugely appreciated initiative is the “visual workplace”, which is used as both guide and key performance measurement in many companies, businesses and industries. The idea behind a visual workplace is that it helps boost performance and achieve optimum output. On the other hand, its implementation…
The Future of Lean Six Sigma Professionals Lean Six Sigma is the combined art and science of eliminating waste and variability in the production process. It’s a school of thought that involves years and years of practice, research, and learning to perfect. Even then, it’s more about the pursuit of perfection than ever actually reaching perfection itself – hey, there’s a reason it’s called ‘continuous improvement’, right?…
Kaizen, commonly referred to as “continuous improvement,” proves very helpful in many workplaces. Businesses and organizations create cultures where employees constantly look for small changes they can make to improve the way the facility operates. Over time, these small improvements can lead to significant improvements in efficiency overall. We always enjoy hearing about unique ways kaizen ideas have been used both in and outside the workplace. This…
Just this week, a Lean discussion in my favorite LinkedIn professional group cropped up and talked about the eight types of waste associated with Lean, but also how they could be specifically applied to customer service. What would a loss of talent look like in customer service? Could there really be an excess in movement? If nothing else, it certainly got me thinking. Specifically, I thought about…