Lean Basics Archives - Page 10 of 12

Lean and Inventory: Misunderstood 0
- Lean Basics
- March 24, 2014
One of the most misunderstood aspects of Lean is the use of inventory. Inventory is one of the eight deadly sins (wastes) in Lean manufacturing. This waste is often one that hides other wastes in our businesses. I think most are familiar with the river and boulder analogy. The water level in the river is
READ MORE
Resist The Tendency To Skip The Current State Map For Real Improvement 0
- Lean Basics
- November 6, 2013
A reader who recently watched “The Secrets to Creating an Effective Value StreamMap Webinar” asked when is okay to skip the current state map. A value-stream map is a visual depiction of the flow of materials and information that provide the customer with a product or service. It also describes the lead time of various
READ MORE
Reducing Changeover Increases Capacity Through Flexibility 0
- Lean Basics
- October 16, 2013
In manufacturing, changeover is the process of converting a line or machine from running one product to another. Changeover times can last from a few minutes to as much as several weeks in the case of automobile manufacturers retooling for new models. Reducing changeover time is like adding capacity, increasing profitability and can help most
READ MORE

Ten Inhibitors of Continuous Flow 0
- Lean Basics, Lean Definition
- August 5, 2013
A Lean Enterprise is centered on the concept of flow. Once value added activities and necessary non-value activities are identified, improvement efforts are directed toward making the activities flow. Flow is the uninterrupted movement of product or service through the system to the customer. An obvious question is why the processes we operate at the
READ MORE
Five Traits of Customer Focused Organizations 0
- Lean Basics, Quality
- July 30, 2013
The importance of the quality function within the organization has been evolving along with that of the customer. Organizations focused on their customers consistently outperform their competition. A truly customer-focused organization sees things through the “lens of the customer” not the “lens of the organization”. Customer-driven organizations share certain traits. Flattened hierarchies. When customers are
READ MORE
The Right Order of MUDA, MURA and MURI 0
- Lean Basics
- June 17, 2013
When you ask a number of people to explain Lean Manufacturing in one sentence, most of them will answer: “eliminate waste”. The reason is that eliminating waste, or Muda is a relatively easy way of identifying the low hanging fruits for improvement in an organization. However, Muda is not the only ‘M’ Toyota has built
READ MORE