Lean Standard or Standardized Work Training ModuleFrank-G. Adler
The Lean Standard Work Training Module v3.0 includes:
1. MS PowerPoint Presentation including 66 slides covering the History of Lean Manufacturing, Five Lean Principles, The Seven Lean Wastes, Introduction to Lean Standard Work (Introduction, Objectives, Benefits), Basic Requirements of Lean Standard Work, Step-by-Step Process using the Four Lean Standard Work Worksheets & Examples, Takt & Cycle Time, Work Balancing, Quick Changeovers, and Kanban Solutions.
2. MS Excel Process Study Worksheet Template
3. MS Excel Process Capacity Worksheet Template & Example
4. MS Excel Work Chart Template & Example
5. MS Excel Work Combination Table Template & Examples
The Lean Kanban Systems Training Module v2.0 includes:
1. MS PowerPoint Presentation including 83 slides covering an Introduction to Lean Management, Benefits of Lean Kanban Systems, Kanban Size Calculations, Three Types of Kanban Systems - Single Card Kanban - Dual or Machine Card Kanban - In-Process Kanban, and a Step-by-Step Kanban Implementation Process.
Level One - Unlock Your Career in Manufacturing - SampleAnanth Palaniappan
Many studies in India state that more than 90% of engineers are not readily employable, resulting in poor understanding of the shop floor, reduced productivity and resulting in poor business performance of the companies.
Level One is a detailed guide on providing induction training to engineers and graduates joining the manufacturing sector in India, which is not covered in any curriculum. This book will help in understanding the fundamentals of various functions, job responsibilities, various tools and techniques, MIS reports and the analysis to be done, thus serving as an Induction Kit for new employees.
Visit www.levelone.co.in to read about the book and order
Buy this book here: https://notionpress.com/read/level-one
Lean Standard or Standardized Work Training ModuleFrank-G. Adler
The Lean Standard Work Training Module v3.0 includes:
1. MS PowerPoint Presentation including 66 slides covering the History of Lean Manufacturing, Five Lean Principles, The Seven Lean Wastes, Introduction to Lean Standard Work (Introduction, Objectives, Benefits), Basic Requirements of Lean Standard Work, Step-by-Step Process using the Four Lean Standard Work Worksheets & Examples, Takt & Cycle Time, Work Balancing, Quick Changeovers, and Kanban Solutions.
2. MS Excel Process Study Worksheet Template
3. MS Excel Process Capacity Worksheet Template & Example
4. MS Excel Work Chart Template & Example
5. MS Excel Work Combination Table Template & Examples
The Lean Kanban Systems Training Module v2.0 includes:
1. MS PowerPoint Presentation including 83 slides covering an Introduction to Lean Management, Benefits of Lean Kanban Systems, Kanban Size Calculations, Three Types of Kanban Systems - Single Card Kanban - Dual or Machine Card Kanban - In-Process Kanban, and a Step-by-Step Kanban Implementation Process.
Level One - Unlock Your Career in Manufacturing - SampleAnanth Palaniappan
Many studies in India state that more than 90% of engineers are not readily employable, resulting in poor understanding of the shop floor, reduced productivity and resulting in poor business performance of the companies.
Level One is a detailed guide on providing induction training to engineers and graduates joining the manufacturing sector in India, which is not covered in any curriculum. This book will help in understanding the fundamentals of various functions, job responsibilities, various tools and techniques, MIS reports and the analysis to be done, thus serving as an Induction Kit for new employees.
Visit www.levelone.co.in to read about the book and order
Buy this book here: https://notionpress.com/read/level-one
The supreme Methodology of Integrity and Enforcing Standardization of across everything around us. The core principle's are the reflection of Japan withstanding in Top Countries
Updated version at https://www.slideshare.net/GiulioRoggero/kanban-board-82363781
Do you have a team that works on both project and maintenance? Do you need to organize your team activities? Do you have a lot of activities in parallel and the time to market it's a problem? With a Kanban board and an Agile approach you can solve your problems!
Take a look of the animation of the slides to discover how it works.
slides on understanding workplace ethics, what it affects, benefits of workplace ethics, slides on ethic codes, codes of conduct, values, ethic programs, required resources, two ethical styles, 3 steps to resolve ethical dilemmas and how to address ethical dilemmas, guidelines and slides on implementing ethic programs, detecting 6 key roles and responsibilities, guidelines for moral decision making, 10 common ethic code provisions, 15 slides on creating an effective code of conduct, and more.
The 5S workplace organization system applies a set of basic management principles that many companies widely adopt to maximize productivity and organization. As a cornerstone of Lean management, 5S improves workplace morale, safety and efficiency.
In this training presentation, you will learn how to mobilize and align your management team to launch or improve a 5S and Visual Management implementation in your organization. The presentation covers 5S and Visual Management best practices, step-by-step implementation guidance, and the best ways to integrate lean 5S into the organization's culture to achieve sustainable world-class excellence.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the benefits of working in a clean and neat environment
2. Define the 5S principles, and identify visual tools
3. Explain how to apply the 5S principles and visual tools to enhance workplace organization
4. Learn how to kick start and launch a 5S initiative
5. Define the critical success factors for 5S implementation
CONTENTS
Introduction & Overview
5S Lays the Foundation for a Lean Enterprise
5S Establishes a Baseline for Kaizen Activities
5S as a Cornerstone of Employee Engagement
5S Helps to Eliminate Waste
What is 5S?
What is the Purpose of 5S?
Benefits of 5S
5S Principles - Step by Step
How to Conduct a Red Tagging Exercise
5S Visual Management
5S Applications
5S Implementation
Starting & Launching 5S
5S Audit System & Maturity Levels
Supporting Lean Tools for 5S
Critical Success Factors
To download this complete presentation, please go to: http://www.oeconsulting.com.sg
By the end of the module, one can:
1.) Define and understand the importance of the 5s method
2.) Identify and overcome the barriers to productivity
3.) Improve QUALITY of work
4.) Practice efficiency at all times
This guide to Lean manufacturing helps guide you to starting and keeping on task you lean manufacturing process. For more information on 5s search for www.creativesafetysupply.com
The supreme Methodology of Integrity and Enforcing Standardization of across everything around us. The core principle's are the reflection of Japan withstanding in Top Countries
Updated version at https://www.slideshare.net/GiulioRoggero/kanban-board-82363781
Do you have a team that works on both project and maintenance? Do you need to organize your team activities? Do you have a lot of activities in parallel and the time to market it's a problem? With a Kanban board and an Agile approach you can solve your problems!
Take a look of the animation of the slides to discover how it works.
slides on understanding workplace ethics, what it affects, benefits of workplace ethics, slides on ethic codes, codes of conduct, values, ethic programs, required resources, two ethical styles, 3 steps to resolve ethical dilemmas and how to address ethical dilemmas, guidelines and slides on implementing ethic programs, detecting 6 key roles and responsibilities, guidelines for moral decision making, 10 common ethic code provisions, 15 slides on creating an effective code of conduct, and more.
The 5S workplace organization system applies a set of basic management principles that many companies widely adopt to maximize productivity and organization. As a cornerstone of Lean management, 5S improves workplace morale, safety and efficiency.
In this training presentation, you will learn how to mobilize and align your management team to launch or improve a 5S and Visual Management implementation in your organization. The presentation covers 5S and Visual Management best practices, step-by-step implementation guidance, and the best ways to integrate lean 5S into the organization's culture to achieve sustainable world-class excellence.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the benefits of working in a clean and neat environment
2. Define the 5S principles, and identify visual tools
3. Explain how to apply the 5S principles and visual tools to enhance workplace organization
4. Learn how to kick start and launch a 5S initiative
5. Define the critical success factors for 5S implementation
CONTENTS
Introduction & Overview
5S Lays the Foundation for a Lean Enterprise
5S Establishes a Baseline for Kaizen Activities
5S as a Cornerstone of Employee Engagement
5S Helps to Eliminate Waste
What is 5S?
What is the Purpose of 5S?
Benefits of 5S
5S Principles - Step by Step
How to Conduct a Red Tagging Exercise
5S Visual Management
5S Applications
5S Implementation
Starting & Launching 5S
5S Audit System & Maturity Levels
Supporting Lean Tools for 5S
Critical Success Factors
To download this complete presentation, please go to: http://www.oeconsulting.com.sg
By the end of the module, one can:
1.) Define and understand the importance of the 5s method
2.) Identify and overcome the barriers to productivity
3.) Improve QUALITY of work
4.) Practice efficiency at all times
This guide to Lean manufacturing helps guide you to starting and keeping on task you lean manufacturing process. For more information on 5s search for www.creativesafetysupply.com
Application of 5S in a Warehouse by Supriya BasuSupriya Basu
A Brief elaboration regarding "How 5S can be implemented in a warehouse"
You will get to know What 5S is...
What are the Functions
Why to implement
how to implement
Benefits out of it.
Running Head SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTSupply .docxtodd521
Running Head: SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Supply Chain Operations Management
Student’s Name: Angeline Hibbert
As a report this needs to have subheadings for each of the sections; a good approach is to have similar sections to the assessment brief. Your work requires more in-text citations. This is good academic practice. Please note that a high product variety that needs customisation requires a strategy that is flexible, fast and responsive- take the hint.
A lean supply chain is an older method that greatly focusses on producing more and in a reduced cost. This therefore adds value for their customers and eliminates any wastage on valueless things. Its focus is on forecasting where they pre-plan years or months before production to reduce on cost especially where a large amount of goods is produced. Agile supply method on the other hand gives a high receptiveness to being flexible so as to adapt quickly to changing circumstances in the society. It handles market unpredictability by waiting to see how the market reacts, before they have finished with the production process therefore responding directly to product demand rather than depending on a forecast (Limm, n.d.). Company A is suited to both agile and lean supply strategies. It can be suited to the agile strategy because different customers have different tastes and preferences when it comes to product specifications. They may make more hinges and iron products which may end up not being bought by their customers. Rethink this argument. See my comment above. They may require customizing and they respond quickly to market changes and trends. Through the lean strategy, they can make the products earlier, taking into consideration the current trends in the market. This will enable them to serve customers who may require the products urgently. These are customers who may not have various specifications for the products and may take what is readily available in the market. It will also serve the inconsistent number of orders which they receive from their customers. For company B, they have to cut on inventory costs by reducing on what is produced because they have a consistent order size. To reduce accumulation of products, they should produce what their customer demands, rather than forecasting what their customers will demand but it ends up accumulating in the stores. Therefore, agile supply chain method will be better suited for company B.
Some organizations may prefer the lean method because it highly cuts on the cost of production and minimizes wastage of the already produced products. It is able to minimize wastage because it can eliminate outdated inventories and possibly reduce the operational costs involved I the production process. It also provides for a timely delivery of products to customers and at the place where they want them and hence, they are able to meet customer requirements without having to observe a strict time limit which leads to an improved cu.
The 5S philosophy focuses on effective workplace organization and standard work procedures. It is based on five Japanese words that begin with S. This document contains a translation of those words and their corresponding meanings in values into the English language.
5S programs have been implanted in organizations and the world as a way to improve production values while also improving employee morale and safety.
The 5S philosophy may be applied to most workplace scenario in a short period of time due to its simple nature. However, we are aware that most every organization
has specific needs. If you have questions about how Add Value Consulting Inc can assist you as you implement your 5S program, please feel free to contact us at any
time using the information printed on the front of this booklet.
The 5 s
1s - Seiri
2s - Seiton
3s - Seiso
4s - Seiketsu
5s - Shitsuke
The Complete Inventory Management Guide for RetailersVend
Inventory management keeps many retailers up at night, and for good reason: staying on top of your store’s stock levels is a balancing act that can make or break your sales and customer satisfaction.
So how can you can get stock levels just right in your store?
From picking the right solution and entering your products, to tracking stock levels and automating parts of the process, we have you covered with tips and examples to help you win at inventory management - whether you’re choosing your inventory software for the first time, or you want to improve and optimize an existing system.
A presentation on The Kaizen Pholosophy, a well known workplace management philosophy originated in Japan.
The application of this philosophy has led to the success of several companies like Toyota and Canon.
Running head BUSINESS FOUNDATION INFORMATION .docxtoddr4
Running head: BUSINESS FOUNDATION INFORMATION 1
BUSINESS FOUNDATION INFORMATION 6
Case study: Latureae business model
Introduction
Latureae is a company that deals with health and wellness products in the Australian market. The company takes in raw materials form a bank of 2000 suppliers to create products that take care of 100000 customers a week. This is possible because the company has good relationships with supermarkets, specialist health food stores, and health care professionals. Thus they link it to a wide customer base making it ideal to manufacture products that are in massive demand. This analysis looks into what is it that propels the business and what is it that can be done to even better its activities and services.
I will look at the primary activities of the business, the secondary activities, and subactivities as well as any links between the activities. I will then look at possible opportunities for Laturaea to employ and better their services.
The primary activities
The company has a broad range of primary activities through its processing chain that makes it possible to serve the customers with the end products which are healthy and nutritional supplements. The activities include the following:
Inbound logistics
The company has a number of all activities that it undertakes to create its full range of products. It undertakes the sourcing of raw materials from its customers whereby it uses different means of transport like the trucks and bikes to bring the materials to the production floor. It in makes use of trucks bikes and different means to ensure that the supplies reach the company on time and in the best natural condition.
The company utilizes a set of cooling facilities as most of the raw materials are green plants. This keeps them from going bad (Bischoff, 2011). Given that the company has over 2000 suppliers in Australia, it ensures that it stays in good relations with them which are the main contributor of value creation.
The subactivities include maintaining the trucks by servicing them and replacing worn out parts as well as training the drivers on the changes in the routes of picking the supplies.
Production
This is the process through which the company processes the raw supplies into their finished healthcare products. Here the company conducts activities such as quality checking. This ensures that they are of good quality and hygienic. The processing will entail measuring the quantities per production amount. Also in the reduction process, the company conditions the working machines so that they may function based on the incoming materials and the desired outcome.
Subactivities here include setting up the production machines through cleaning and repairs as well as setting up hardware used in the operating systems.
So as to ensure that there is value creation at t.
What is Gemba?
For those who haven’t heard the term Gemba before, it is a Japanese word that means “The Real Place,” and is used in this context to refer to any area of a company where the action is taking place. This could be a warehouse where products are stored and shipped, or
a facility where products are made, or even a customer service area. Anywhere that action is taken and value is created in support of the business is considered Gemba.
So, a Gemba walk is when business leaders leave their offices and go out to see how things are done, and ideally, find ways to make improvements. Managers can get out and observe work from the ‘front lines’ rather than simply reviewing reports or listening to observations of others from behind their desks.
Stop the Accident Before You’re Part of the AccidentBen Geck
One of the most important things any safety manager, or other leader in a facility can do to help improve overall safety is to teach everyone that preventing accidents before they happen is
an important part of their job. While responding
to accidents
after they
happen is
necessary, it
is really only
the result of
the facility
failing to prevent
it from happening in
the first place. Rather
than waiting for problems to come occur, so solutions can be found and implemented, it is much better to always be on the lookout for ways to stop an accident before it becomes a reality.
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response protocols, often referred to as HAZWOPER, are a set
of standards for dealing
with projects involving
the cleanup of toxic waste. HAZWOPER requires companies to follow a
strict set of health and safety requirements when responding to spillage emergencies or dealing with toxic cleanups.
How to prevent slips and falls in the workplaceBen Geck
Prevent Slips and Falls with Anti-Slip Floor Tape
The rainy season is once again upon us and there’s no time like the present to re-evaluate your safety measures as we come into winter. Wet conditions tend to always bring an increase in slip and fall injuries around the workplace. To reduce the risk factors associated with wet conditions, many have turned to anti-slip floor tape (sometimes referred to as traction tape) to help alert and prevent workers from slipping.
Understanding the HAZWOPER Standard
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response protocols, often referred to as HAZWOPER, are a set
of standards for dealing
with projects involving
the cleanup of toxic waste. HAZWOPER requires companies to follow a strict set of health and safety requirements when responding to spillage emergencies or dealing with toxic cleanups.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
3. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
WHAT IS KANBAN?
You might not be familiar with the word Kanban but you are probably familiar
with the process. Many businesses and homes already use an organization
system that is loosely based on Kanban without even knowing it. Simply put,
Kanban is an organizational system. The point of this, and really any
organizing system, is to keep products running in an even manner. Kanban is
a way of providing signals so that the process of maintaining inventory is
simplified.
The word Kanban comes from the Japanese and means billboard or
signboard. This word is used because Kanban relies heavily on cards that are
used as markers for moving and replacing inventory. The whole system
centers around these visual cues that help you maintain inventory at the
proper levels so that you never keep to much or too little of your products or
4. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
materials in stock. In order to use Kanban effectively it is important to
understand a few other concepts related to it.
Kaizen And The Five S’s
Kanban is an inventory system that is normally integrated with Kaizen and 5S.
Kaizen, is also a Japanese creation, the word means continuous
improvement. Companies that use the Kaizen system are constantly on the
lookout for ways to improve their operational functions. In some companies
there are teams of people whose job is to find ways to cut costs and improve
working conditions. In a Kaizen system this is a job for every employee.
Successful Japanese businesses like Canon and Toyota use this system.
They ask that every employee suggest ways to improve the company on a
regular basis. They mean every employee too, whether it is the janitor or
members of upper management, all suggestions are taken under
consideration.
5. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
When these companies ask for suggestions they expect, and get them on
every aspect of their business. Someone working on the production line may
have a marketing idea or someone in marketing a production idea. The ideas
are not limited to big changes; they can be little improvements that help how
the business runs overall. In America we tend to run our lives in a mentality of
“do not fix what isn’t broken” whereas the Kaizen system is based on the idea
of “doing things better, improving even if it is not broken so that we can
compete with those who do.”
The Japanese apply this concept to all aspects of their lives, even in social
situations. This is in part why they have been so successful in manufacturing
and other business ventures. If you set high standards and allow every
employee to help improve those standards the odds of success are in your
favor.
Another concept borrowed from the Japanese and integrated in Kaizen is the
Five S program. The Five S’s are simple and common sense principles to
running a business. By using them you can provide your employees with an
effective system that maintains cleanliness, visual order, organization, and
standardization to the business production lines. This will improve your
business while also empower your employees to be more efficient and to pay
close attention to service and safety. Those things combined will lead to an
overall better work environment and increase in profits.
6. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
What Are The Five S’s?
1. Sort - Sorting is the process of going through each work area and getting
rid of any equipment, tools, or other materials that are not often used. These
excess things will be moved to a storage area or discarded. The result is to
have a much cleaner work area that is not just aesthetically pleasing, but
easier to maintain. It improves employee safety, and lessens the chance of
confusion and wasted time.
2. Set In Order - This second step is all about organization. Examine
your work area and see to it that everything has a place. Set out to label spots
for materials so that they are easy to identify and locate. If your work area is
in production, paint or clean as necessary and mark out lanes for work areas,
storage, and finished products.
3. Sweep - This step is an ongoing cleaning of your work area. Since you
have taken the time to organize everything neatly you will want to ensure that
it remains that way. Set up a schedule for regular and daily cleaning so that
you leave each day with your work area in the same condition as when you
started. You should also inspect equipment and tools for damage or leaks,
this way you can fix the problems while they are still minor.
4. Standardize - One of the ways to make sure you and your employees
do not fall back into old habits is to standardize the way things are done. You
might consider making posters that direct employees to the new standard of
maintaining their work areas so they are less likely to revert to old habits.
5. Sustain - This might be the most difficult step in the program,
sustainment. The best way to maintain the previous steps is to have a formal
way to monitor the results of your effort. You must continually educate
employees on keeping up with the standards and adjusting to any changes.
7. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
If your workers employ the Five S’s to their work area and feel empowered
through the Kaizen system of improvement it will be easy for them to then
also use Kanban. Most Kanban systems rely on the previously mentioned
cards and bins. The system is a simple act of placing bins on the floor of your
factory, one in the store, and one with the supplier.
When these bins are empty there is a card that has all of the details about the
product on it, the Kanban card. When the factory bin is empty, it can be easily
sent to the store for more of the product, along with its Kanban card. The
same process then happens at the store as their bins are emptied they go to
the supplier to be refilled.
One other concept is the JIT or ‘Just in Time” production method. The two
former ideas combined with Kanban organization allow you to get the
materials you need in time for use. The system will prevent you from having a
lot of excess materials lying around, instead you will have them when you
8. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
need them. As a fact, you should have them “just in time” to meet your
production needs.
By using these methods there will be enough time to refill one bin before the
previous bin is completely empty so there is never a lag in materials. It
becomes a cycle of refilling stock just in time without too much extra
inventory, or a lack thereof. Some factories keep an extra bin for fluctuations
in supply, however with properly managed calculations there is little need for
the extra bin.
9. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
ORIGINS OF KANBAN
As previously mentioned Kanban began in Japan. The world renowned
carmaker Toyota began studying supermarkets in the 1940s. Supermarkets
have a unique in store system that use in store stocking techniques. Their
system always provides for adequate amounts of products on the shelves
without having to store excess amounts because customers know they can
always return to the store for more. Toyota believed that this same process
could be applied to the factory floor. The demand for the product guided the
ordering of products and their placement on the shelves. In 1953 Toyota
began using this system of Kanban in the machine shop of their main plant.
At Toyota they applied a number of rules to Kanban and to their plant which
helped tie the whole system together. Some of the rules included to never
sending defective products down the line, and withdrawing only what is
needed in the process. These rules may seem obvious, but in writing them
down and actually implementing them in the running of a plant they were not
10. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
forgotten. Toyota eliminated a lot of human error, and therefore improved
productivity and profits.
At Toyota they knew that the demand for materials would need to be pulled by
employees so they needed a system to help them do that efficiently. By using
Kanban cards they were able to implement this system, along with a few other
rules, in order to make their company run effectively.
Although there were other manufacturing giants, like Ford Motor Company,
who used a manufacturing strategy, Toyota took it all one step further. Under
the direction of Taichii Ohno they also recognized the knowledge and
importance of listening to ideas from all employees. In addition they worked
on ways to use their systems for a variety of products or for multiple products
at the same time.
Soon the successes of Toyota lead to the Kanban process being used all over
Japan. Once the quality of the system was apparent it began to be used all
over the world. There were, of course some failures because many
companies were resistant to implementing all of the aspects of the Kanban
system. The sum of all parts of Kanban including the Five S’s and Kaizen are
necessary to its success.
By the 1980s popular American companies like General Electric were using
the Toyota system, although calling it by many different names, with much
success.
11. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
BENEFITS OF KANBAN
There are major benefits to implementing a Kanban system in your company.
These improvements can reduce costs and increase employee morale. It is
important to note that employees who feel valued and who are treated with
respect will work harder and therefore improve production. Because Kanban
enlists the use of Kaizen your employees will become inherently more
involved in the company.
Employee loyalty does not have to be something that you only dream of
having. By asking for and taking seriously your employees ideas and opinions
you will not only get loyalty, but surely some excellent suggestions too.
12. The Art of Kanban
!2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360
Reduction In Waste And Inventory
The Kanban system is one that supplies your company with only the materials
that it needs when they are actually needed. By doing this your waste is
reduced in several ways. First, you will not waste space by storing excess
inventory. As all business people know, space comes at a premium cost, so it
is important to use every bit of space you have in the best possible way.
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Storing excess inventory is usually not the best use of space. One of the other
big drawbacks to holding onto an inventory of components is the risk of
having to waste them when a part is upgraded.
Since your company will also be using Kaizen and looking for ways to make
improvements it is likely that components will be upgraded or changed on a
regular basis. If you store excess components you will have to dispose of
them every time an improvement is made. This wastes a great deal of money
in addition to the space and manpower needed to deal with the materials.
By the same token you will reduce the amount of waste and scrap materials
you produce. Again, costs will be cut and your needs for storage will lessen
because you will only keep the raw materials that you need at a specific time.
Once those diminish, more materials will be delivered so you will not lag in
production, nor will you overproduce in an effort to use up excess materials.
Flexibility
When you manufacture something, production is never on the one constant
level. Instead there are peaks and valleys that you will need to account for in
your business. The Kanban system is able to help you meet these needs
because the raw materials are shipped to you through the supply and demand
process. When production is high you will naturally get more materials
delivered to you and when it is low you will get less.
In addition to controlling materials this system also allows for quick
changeover should you need to manufacture a new product. Since the supply
chain is guided by your needs instead of a constant stream of materials and
storage you can switch to a new product whenever that is necessary. Of
course, there are limits based on the machinery you have and employee
training, but the problem of supply lines will not be an issue.
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Cutting Costs
Cutting costs is probably the most important feature of a Kanban system. If
you were to look at your costs for maintaining inventory, you will probably
quickly see that it is quite expensive. When you are able to reduce inventory
you are also able to reduce costs. The same can be said for reducing
overproduction and costs. All of these things cost money, while a Kanban
system costs very little to implement and can save in big ways.
Another way that it cuts costs is by reducing logistical costs and wait times.
When your employees do not have the materials to do their job you lose
money. When you have to pay extra to get the things you need to get your
production moving along you also spend extra money. Using Kanban
prevents both of these problems because it is all based on supply and
demand. You should never again have to pay people to do nothing or pay
extra for a rush delivery of supplies.
Kanban is a system that saves time, saves money, reduces waste, and
maintains and improves employee morale. If you have all of these things in
place, continued success is sure to follow. These principles allow production
to flow in a more easy and manageable way so that there are fewer errors
and in fact, less room for them in every day processes.
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HOW TO INTEGRATE KANBAN INTO
THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
To get started with Kanban it is important to remember that it is a process that
must be done over time. You should expect to take several weeks or months
to get your system completely operational and to train your employees. It is
also important to remain flexible.
Realize that since every company or office is different so is each Kanban
system. You will need to adjust and change as you meet different challenges.
It is important to note that this is a multi-step process. The process of
implementing it in your factory is also multi-step, for long-term success you
must be willing to embrace the whole of Kanban not just the parts that are
easy.
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Integrating Kanban
Step One - Learn all that you can about Kanban. Study how it has been
used in your industry and in other industries, knowledge is always key. You
might be able to see a video, attend a seminar, or hire a Kanban consultant to
help you understand the process.
Step Two - Choose the parts of the Kanban system that are going to work
best for your business. At its heart Kanban is as simple as a card in a bin, but
there are different ways to approach this idea. You might only need two bins
instead of three or maybe you need more to make your facility run efficiently.
Kanban uses visual cues to remind people to pull more supplies, but you may
want to back this up with a computer or bar code system. You might even find
that you simply need a Kanban manual for employees to follow as it’s guiding
principle.
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Step Three - Plan your system. It is important to figure out where your
bins will be placed and who will handle the tasks associated with them. Keep
in mind what you need your system to do. Is it to keep materials flowing freely
or are you more concerned with information? Once you know that you can set
up your Kanban cards.
Basic Kanban Card Information
• Supplier
• Card number
• Product information like barcodes or SKU numbers
• Kanban amount
• Location of materials
• Date of order
• Lead time
• Due Date
• Part usage
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Step Four - Set goals. Remember that part of the Five S’s is to sustain, so
include this in your preplanning. Think about and write down what you want to
accomplish with the use of Kanban and how you will measure your goals.
Make sure to evaluate where you are prior to using Kanban so that you can
adequately judge the results. Try not to limit yourself in terms of creativity and
goals. The system, if used correctly can lead you to great success. Be sure
that you have a system in place that evaluates the overall company and the
conditions that you work under. It would be easy to blame Kanban for failures
or to try to cheat the system. Avoid this at all costs by setting clear goals and
standards.
Step Five - Implement the system. This will require you to gather whatever
materials you need, bins, pallets, boxes, and cards. Make sure that all
containers are labeled clearly and that the Kanban cards are easy to
understand. You will probably start out with more bins than necessary, as
your system is refined these will go away until you have the ideal number for
your business. Because there is no set way any business operates you need
to account for errors. At the beginning you should maintain a stock of
additional materials or supplies so that production is not interrupted when
breakdowns in the system occur.
Part of implementing the system is also to introduce it to your employees. You
may be met with some resistance, as this is a common reaction to change.
Do not let it stop you from putting the system to work. Your employees will
grow to appreciate a system that reduces the chance for human error while
increasing productivity and self-reliance at the same time. Be sure to open
them up to the idea of Kaizen. As your eyes on the ground floor the help of
your employees will be very helpful in improving the system and suggesting
necessary changes to further your success.
Step Six - Follow up. Check in daily how the system is working for you and
your employees. Request input and be open to taking suggestions, even if
you are not sure that they will work. Make changes as necessary. It is easy to
get caught up in the excitement of a new system and fail to see its flaws. But
you must remember that guiding principle of fixing things before they are
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broken. Even in the best systems in the world there is always room for
improvement.
Go back to the goals you set up and see which ones you have met. If you find
that your goals are not being met figure out why. There may be something
inherently wrong with your system or perhaps the system by which you are
judging success. Again, try not to blame Kanban for failures; it is rarely the
system that is flawed, but rather the way it has been implemented. Do not be
afraid to start from scratch should the need arise.
CONCLUSION
When most of us think about a company like Toyota we immediately think of
success. However, we also think of that success as based on innovations in
the design of cars and not necessarily the production of them. In fact, the
success of Toyota has as much to do with improvements in production. As
forerunners of the Kanban system they figured out one of the best ways to
reduce costs was to cut out the amount spent on inventory and lag time. The
system, driven by consumer demand, has been and continues to be part of
their success. A testament to this success it the use of Kanban systems in
also sorts of industries and offices. Even in homes, Kanban is a way to
ensure that you have the things you need on hand all of the time.
Implementing Kanban into your workplace is a great way to improve the
productivity. The system is a relatively simple one that lets current demand
dictate supply. When materials in one area run low, the entire system goes
into action to replace them. Each bin in each separate location alerts another
bin to the need for more materials. You will never wait for materials to arrive
because someone forgot to place and order because the system reminds
itself. You will also never have to spend time and money storing materials or
worry about those materials becoming obsolete whilst being in storage.
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Instead, the dynamic system of Kanban keeps materials fresh and supports
the constantly changing needs of manufacturing.
Remember that the only blocks to success with the Kanban system are the
ones you set. An important step in the process is maintenance and evaluation
of goals. If you do not maintain the system and show your employees how to
maintain the system you are destined to fail. Always improve it; always find
ways to be more efficient. If you can do that you will reap the benefits of
giants like Toyota.
Creative Safety Supply
Phone: 1-866-777-1360
Email: info@CreativeSafetySupply.com
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