The document discusses Lean Thinking and process improvements using Lean principles in light manufacturing. It defines Lean as minimizing waste through continual process improvements while respecting workers. The seven types of waste are described as overproduction, inventory, waiting, unnecessary transport, unnecessary processing, defects, and overprocessing. Methods to reduce waste include just-in-time production, Kanban systems, continuous flow, reducing batch sizes, standardizing work, and improving layouts. Lean tools like process flow diagrams, spaghetti diagrams, swimlane diagrams and value stream maps are used to analyze current and ideal future states. The key to Lean is continuous improvement through incremental changes to further eliminate waste and pursue perfection.

1. Using Lean Thinking
Process Improvements in Light
Manufacturing:

2. What is Lean?
 Lean is a process improvement and management
philosophy modeled heavily on Toyota
 Based on three beliefs of how process
improvement can be achieved:
 Minimize waste in all forms
 Continually improve processes and systems
 Maintain respect for all workers

3. What is Waste?
 What does waste mean to Lean?
 Over Production – Creating more product or components than needed.
Ties up $ as inventory.
 Inventory – Excess raw materials, finished products, and Work-in-
Process (WIP). Ties up $ and incurs storage and handling costs.
 Waiting – Delays that prevent work. Also delays getting paid by the
customer.
 Unnecessary transport or human motion– Unnecessary movement of
workers and material (physical distance). Increases lead time and labor
costs.
 Unnecessary processing – Extra steps that don’t add value.
 Defects – Increases material and rework costs.

4. How do you reduce waste?
 Over Production
 Use a pull system instead of a push system
 Just-in-time Manufacturing
 Inventory
 Production control with Kanban
 Reduce batch sizes

5. How do you reduce waste?
 Waiting
 Continuous Flow Manufacturing
 Synchronization
 Remove bottlenecks
 Movement or Transport
 Reduce Travel distance
 Reduce unnecessary movement
 Convert functional layouts to cellular layouts

6. How do you reduce waste?
 Unnecessary processing
 Identify work that does not add value and find ways
to remove it
 Defects
 Standardize work and quality
 Improve quality of craftsmanship will direct hand
offs

7. Where do you begin?
 Establish a Baseline
 Understand the business
 Breakdown the flow process
 Ask questions and then ask more.
 Investigate
 Apply Lean tools
 Don’t Work in a Vacuum

8. LEAN TOOLS
 Process Flow Diagrams
 Spaghetti Diagrams
 Swimlane Diagrams
 Value Stream Maps

9. Process Flow Diagram
 The Process Flow Diagram (PFD) shows the
logical and physical flow of product or component
within a given system

10. Process Flow
Diagram Examples
Chemical Processes
Image: www.heatingoil.com
Software Application Development
“Getting Things Done”
Image: www.zenhabits.net
Image: www.techjini.com

11. Spaghetti Diagram
 Plant Layout

12. Spaghetti Diagram
 Plant Layout
with material
flows

13. Swimlane Diagrams
 Swimlane Diagram – A diagram that categorizes
groups of activities in a manufacturing process
 By operator, department, or location
 Each group is shown on one lane
 Actions within each group are shown in sequence
within each lane
 Connections between lanes represent transfers of
material or information between groups
 The Swimlane can visually emphasize the
complexity of a process and highlight problem areas

14. Swimlane Diagram Example

15. Value Stream Map
 Value Stream Maps track the flow of
material and information

16. Have a baseline, now what?
 Find and area where you can add value, and
implement it.

17. Example: Widget Factory

18. Widget Example – Baseline State
 Making a hypothetical widget requiring cutting,
polishing, welding, testing operations
Swimlane Diagram Layout and Spaghetti Diagram
Baseline widget is transferred between 3 operators and travels 80’.

19. Widget Example – Lean State
 Making a hypothetical widget requiring cutting,
polishing, welding, testing operations
Swimlane Diagram
Layout and Spaghetti Diagram
Lean widget only needs 1 operator and travels the minimum distance.
Manufacturing is now continuous.

20. Widget Example - Using Lean
 Capture the baseline sequence
 Capture the order of operations
 Where are operations done and on what
equipment?
 Which employees do what and when – how far do
they move?
 How long does it all take? How long until first
article is complete?

21. Widget Example - Adding Value
 If each operation uses a batch size of 100 and takes 1 hour,
then:
 Total Production Time and Total Lead Time are 400 hours (!).
 Total distance traveled is 80’.
 If batch size is reduced to 20, then:
 Total Lead Time is 80 hours (LARGE % reduction)
 Total distance traveled is 400’.
 If widgets are produced by one operator continuously, then:
 Total Lead Time is 4 hours (AMAZING).
 Total distance traveled is negligible.

22. Value added with Lean
 Reductions in waste
 Reductions in labor costs
 Time Savings
 Total Production Time
 Total Lead Time
 faster payments, more throughput, more jobs
 Other improvements
 Quality
 Organization
 Efficiency
 Utilization
 Quantifying wherever possible

23. What is the Key to Lean?
 Continuous Improvement
 Continuous product and process improvement and the
elimination of non-value added activities is at the core of
lean philosophy.
 Improving the flow of material through new ideal system
layouts at the customer's required rate would reduce
waste in material movement and inventory.
 Incremental
 There is always room for further improvement

24. What is the Key to Lean?
 Continued Pursue Perfection
 Lean Office
 5S
 Synchronization
 Kaizen
 Poke Yoke

25. Conclusions

26. Plan For Every Part (PFEP)