This document discusses Design for Lean (DFL), which is an approach for designing facilities to deliver products or services with minimal waste. It outlines why DFL is needed to avoid issues like excess material handling, long value streams, bottlenecks, and wasted space. The document then provides an overview of BMGI's DFL methodology, which follows a three-step process to design facilities based on customer demand, layout, work station design, process sequencing, lean principles, and more. The goal is to build process excellence into the system from the start.

1. BMGI
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2. Design for Lean
“Who designed this wasteful, incapable, unavailable, inadequate, inflexible, uneven, and
disconnected value stream in the first place? And who is responsible for its performance
now? ” The answer in most cases is that usual suspect, No One”
– Jim Womack, author of Lean Thinking”
Organizations in pursuit of process excellence don’t go lean in the operations alone, but,
would also make sure that the manner in which value is delivered is designed for lean. The
throughput that delivers the said value would be in a facility that is designed with the
throughput in mind.
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What is DFL?
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Why is it needed?
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Where is it applicable?
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BMGI methodology for DFL
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Process Development Cycle
What is DFL?
Design for Lean (DFL) is an approach for designing any facility that has a product or
a service as an output. The objective is to set and operationalize a minimal waste,
minimal loss process for a product or a service. Through DFL, process excellence is
built-in in the system.
Why is it needed?
A facility with the throughput ‘fitted-in’ would typically demand high investments in
material handling, require the product to travel long distances in its value stream,
frequently suffer from shortage of space, have unplanned storage points and
unplanned inventory, is likely to have unbalanced capacities which would lead to
bottlenecks and congestion; would have higher supervision requirements and the
operators are likely to cover higher distances for their operation.

3. Design for Lean
All these may or may not mean the customer is suffering, but, this definitely would mean
that the organization has money locked in, in the form of one or more types of waste inside
the facility.
SiFacilities that are designed for lean would not just cater to customer demand but ensure
a healthier cash-flow with minimal cash locked-in in the system.
Where is it applicable?
DFL can be applied in any context where there is a process delivering a product or a
service. More specifically, this would be ideal in setting up new plants - Greenfield Projects
(Discrete / process manufacturing, Services etc). It is also applicable in setting up new
processes or new product lines or while revamping existing layouts. DFL is also useful
when setting up plants based on product family and PQ Analysis or setting up warehouses,
retail marts, super markets, transport hubs, etc.,
To reinforce, DFL can be applied to any process that has an output catering to a customer
demand. This unit of output can either be a product or a service.

4. Design for Lean
BMGI Methodology for DFL
Our approach to DFL follows a three step structured methodology
DFL deployment process may be different for large and small organizations or
departmental engagements, but the result is always the same - BMGI helps their clients
uncover their greatest opportunities for improvement and devise a strategy for
accomplishing them. BMGIs would be responsible for designing the entire line for the value
being delivered be it a product or a service.
The customer may have information on product demand, in addition to some constraints
like floor space available, assembling/process cost per product/document, available or max
manpower and budgets for setting up of the entire line.

5. Design for Lean
These inputs are usually captured for deriving additional requirements and designing the
entire line. Some of the parameters taken into consideration while setting up of an end to
end manufacturing/ service line are as follows:
a) Customer demand (Takt Time, Lead Time, etc. for the process
b) Optimized Layout plan based on floor space available for building line
c) Designing of Stations for assembly/processing (# of stations, CT, # of operators,
etc.)
d) Sequencing of processes/activities (Optimal sequence, etc.)
e) Application of Assembly/Processing Principles
f) Ergonomics study for stress-free operations
g) Application of Lean Principles
h) Safety analysis to achieve industry standards
i) Quality Conformance and error proofing
j) Identifications of Machine/Tools/Fixtures (Selection, ease of maintainability and
operability)
k) Logistics for Material (Optimum travel routes, part presentations, bins, frequency,
etc.)
l) Standardization (Video, Pictures, standard work instructions, etc.)

6. Design for Lean
Process Development Cycle
BMGI’s DFL team will work with you to design your facility through DFL approach
that will set the platform for process excellence in your organization. To know more,
call us.