Lean Enterprise Program

MVATC Lean Enterprise Program focuses on using the long term Lean Thinking strategy to improve your organizational performance. By demonstration, MVATC will show your organization how the lean tools can assist your on journey. This process begins with a conversation within your organization to insure you are ready to start this journey

All innovations and improvements start with everyone in the organization becoming aware of the need for change and the role each will play in the realization of that change. The most important step is to begin by catching people's attention and raising their awareness. Lean Enterprise means more than changing production methods. The awareness for change must begin at the top of the company and establish a sense of urgency that "trickles" down to the next level and ultimately to the shop floor. There are many ways to start this chain-reaction (in-house training, team building workshops, shop floor study or work teams, etc.) The one key element is that it must be fully understood that the present state is not enough to ensure the company's survival in the future. Following are some considerations regarding employee involvement when implementing Lean strategies: Push decision making and system development down to the "lowest levels" Ensure that people are fully trained and truly empowered Provide widespread orientation to continuous improvement, quality, training and recruiting workers with appropriate skills Create common understanding of the need to change to lean Fully prepare and motivate people Share information and manage expectations Identify and empower champions, particularly operations managers Remove roadblocks (i.e. people, layout, systems) Create an atmosphere of experimentation, toleration, patience, risk taking Install "enlightened" and realistic performance measures, evaluation, and reward systems Do away with rigid performance goals during implementation

Using the lean tools introduced through a Lean 101 simulation the client company will learn the basic principles of Lean Enterprise. Tools such as the following are introduced
(see details below)

• Pull System
• Kanban
• 5S
• Visual Controls
• Standardized Work
• Point of Use Storage
• Quality at the Source
• Value Stream Map

      Once these tools are understood, the team approach through the organization is established. Building an organization that effectively uses teams throughout its operation is challenging in and of itself. Just trying to establish teams is unlikely to do much for introducing lean manufacturing. Good teamwork in the front office and on the shop floor does take training and development, but it is during the development and transformation to lean manufacturing that creates both a need and an environment for teams.
Establishing product- based work arrangements make individual processing steps dependent on another. In such a production environment, individuals must be able to work as a team. Producing only to customer requirements takes out work-in-process and demand producing and delivering high quality throughout the production chain. These types of changes lay the groundwork for individuals to become part of teams. The natural progression is to incorporate team

The transition to a lean environment does not occur overnight. A continuous improvement mentality is necessary to reach your company's goals. The term "continuous improvement" means incremental improvement of products, processes, or services over time, with the goal of reducing waste to improve workplace functionality, customer service, or product performance. Continuous improvement principles, as practiced by the most devoted manufacturers and service organization, result in improvements in performance that competitors find to achieve. Lean production, applied correctly, results in the ability of an organization to learn. As in any organization, mistakes will always be made. However, mistakes are not usually repeated because this is a form of waste that the lean production philosophy and its methods seek to eliminate.

 

Lean Overview (Lean 101)
The overview session is designed to give an overview of lean manufacturing techniques and tools in a learn-by-doing atmosphere. The 1st round of the simulation is based on what a typical batch manufacturing company encounters in its day to day activities. Several tools including Standardized Work, Job Instruction 5S and Visual Controls, Point of Use Storage, Quick Changeover and Quality at the Source are introduced before the 2nd round of the simulation is begun. Utilizing several of the newly introduced tools, the participants make improvements to the process. At this time, several more lean tools are introduced. These included Point Of Use Storage, Quick Changeover and Quality at the Source. Utilizing these newly introduced tools, the participants again make process improvements that are reflected on the bottom line performance. The participants are then utilizing as many of the tools as they can to further improve the process which reflects directly to the bottom line results of the company in the simulation.
This simulation is a great introduction to the lean tools and how to use them with hands-on activities. We find that when several individuals within a company participate in the simulation, they immediately can relate how to use these tools on their own jobs. What the simulation can not demonstrate is how beneficial lean can be as an overall system as opposed to a series of tools that work independent of one another.

5S
Participants learn the concepts of the 5S System and then apply them to transform a cluttered, disorganized area into a clean, organized and orderly workplace. The course offers an opportunity to experience first hand how the 5S system reduces waste and improves productivity and quality in a simulated production facility. Participants will learn to describe the difference in workplace appearance and functionality before and after the 5S process has been applied. Participants perform an in-depth audit of workplace organization and standardization; organize a workplace by applying the concepts of sort, set-in order and shine; standardize procedures to maintain and control an organized workplace using visual controls; and describe how 5S can help to improve workplace environmental health and safety.

Value Stream Map (VSM)
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is used to create a material and information flow map of production processes and the relationship between various levels in a multi-tiered suppy chain. Participants learn to: Map material, information, and supply chain flows Map current and future states; participate in a simulation; Present fundamental concepts of visual schematic diagramming devices; Provide practical, real-world applications for the course content; Facilitate the process of identifying systemic waste in order to visualize a waste-free future state; Prepare for Kaizen events.

Cellular Design
You'll learn the concepts of Cellular/Flow Manufacturing. Then, you'll help transform your traditional batch production area to a cellular layout and see the dramatic changes in the way the product flows, so that customer demand is met-on time, every time.

Visual Controls
This seminar provides a conceptual understanding of the visual workplace as well as an overview of the methodology for implementing and sustaining visuality throughout the enterprise. The seminar properly positions the technologies of the visual workplace - as a powerful partner to a company's journey to excellence and crucial to its ability to maximize lean results. With visual order (5S) in place, an organization is then ready to move on to more advanced visual applications: visual standards, visual displays, visual metrics, and beyond. Learn about the crucial link between visual and lean. Attendees will explore examples of visual solutions from workplaces.

Kaizen
A Kaizen event is a hands-on series of activities following a the structured Shingijutso method of Documenting Reality, Identifying Wastes, Planning Countermeasures, Implementing Changes, Verify Changes, Quantify Results and Make Standard. This cycle will be taught and facilitated on a targeted area as defined with the Value Stream Mapping reinforcing the training delivered in that module. The Lean tools of Kanban, Flow, Error proofing, and Hanedashi will be used in hands on activities that will reinforce the Lean 101 workshop and facilitate the staff to continually improve their process using the lean tools.

Total Productive Maintenance
Learn about Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and how it is related to capacity. The ten-fold effect of 5S techniques when applied to your equipment. The six major equipment-related losses, how to find and eliminate 4 of the causes of 75% of equipment breakdowns. Participants will apply the techniques on our simulated equipment in the classroom. By the end of the session, you'll experience how these techniques achieve dramatic improvements in uptime and increased equipment effectiveness.

Quick Changeover (SMED)
This workshop will teach the principles of Setup Reduction and the Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) system. The Changeover Improvement Process will be applied to achieve setup reduction in a exercise. By the end of the session you'll experience reduced costs and setup times and see machine capacity increase at the same time.

Please feel free to contact Bill Heron at billh@mvatc.com or Walt Pillar Phd at waltp@mvatc.com with any Lean Enterprise Program questions that you may have.