What type of company can gain most from Lean Manufacturing?

Every organization can and should implement a continuous improvement program. Wherever a process takes places, there exists waste and therefore room for improvement. Lean has been successfully implement in such diverse industries as health, construction, insurance, banking and of course manufacturing.

What are the main barriers to Lean implementation?

• No support from top management
• A conviction that mass production delivers lowest cost
• A desire to hold lots of inventory
• No dedicated resources in charge of implementation
• Lack of trust
• No time for training, team meetings and implementation of ideas
• Organizational silos

What are the similarities among companies that have succeeded in Lean?

All organizations that have had a successful experience with Lean Manufacturing show:

• Full support and dedication to Lean from top management
• Assigning top talent to running the Lean program
• Investing in people - training
• Excellent communications and a transparent measurement system
• Never stopping elimination of waste

Can we implement Lean in all of our facilities at once?

Yes, but experience shows that it is better to learn by trial and error in one place. Lessons gained can then smooth the implementation process across other facilities.

How to convince others that Lean Manufacturing delivers gains?

First of all, before commencing any improvement activities a company should decide on a clear measurement system for improvements. Transparency and communication is always the be form of advertising. Documented success will hopefully convince people who were not on a bandwagon from the beginning.

Who should participate in Lean activities?

All employees, from top management to the shop floor should participate. Involvement of a top manager is a must. Equally important is ensuring participation of middle management, a level that is frequently forgotten in the transformation.

How to commence a Lean Manufacturing program?

The first step to implementation is conducting an assessment of current conditions and developing a strategic long term plan for improvement. Once required actions are known, a training program begins commencing at the top level of the organization and slowly descending down the ranks. When the people who will participate in selected pilot programs have acquired necessary knowledge, action can begin, typically starting with 5S.

How to measure improvements?

Some of the common lean measures are:

• WiP - work in progress
• Floor area
• Lead Time
• Part travel distance
• Quality - ppm
• Changeover time
• OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness

It is important to try to avoid financial measures, as the question will likely arise: what's in it for me?

Can one apply only some of lean tools?

Lean Manufacturing is not a menu from which one can choose items of interest. A majority of Lean tools are finely interwoven, complement each other and cannot exist without one another. Although initial success can be achieved using only one or two tools such as 5S or SMED, permanent improvement cannot be sustained without support from other tools. This in turn, as experienced lean practitioners will testify, requires a change in the organizational culture.

Is Lean Manufacturing applicable only to production?

Lean Manufacturing can be applied to any process, whether it is in assembly, fabrication, services or any type of human endeavor. A term Lean Office has recently been used to describe application of lean techniques in a non manufacturing environment.