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Write a 2 pages paper on lean manufacturing. Running Head: Lean Manufacturing Lean Manufacturing [Institute’s Executive Summary Lean manufacturing aims at detecting and eliminating the waste from the
Write a 2 pages paper on lean manufacturing. Running Head: Lean Manufacturing Lean Manufacturing [Institute’s Executive Summary Lean manufacturing aims at detecting and eliminating the waste from the product process. By doing so, companies can reduce their cost, effort and time at high rate. This can be done by making a lean team and training the employees. Some famous production control systems include Toyota production system, JIT, KANBAN, production scheduling etc. Lean manufacturing identifies seven types of wastes and work for eliminating them through a systematic process.
Lean Manufacturing
The term Lean Manufacturing refers to a technique, which is used for eliminating waste from the manufacturing process. A number of companies around the world use this technique. The main purpose for implementing this technique is to bring efficiency in the production process. This technique is often called as the production process of the twenty-first century. Today, almost every size of business makes use of lean manufacturing because of the fact that many large size businesses have achieved success by integrating this technique. In addition to this, many large sized organizations hire lean manufacturing experts in their organizations. Many companies begin the process of lean manufacturing through value stream analysis. It is an analysis in which each step involved in the production process is closely monitored and examined. After that, an analysis is made about the value of each step. Value stream analysis helps the companies in identifying those steps which needs improvement or which has no worth in the production process (Feld, pg 55).
According to lean manufacturing, seven different types of wastes results in the inefficient production. These types of wastes include over-production, waiting, over-processing, inventory, defects, transportation, and moving. Among these, over-production, transportation, and inventory are related to the scarcity in the flow of material. All of these types of wastes are a source of increasing cost without creating any value for the final consumer.
Lean manufacturing is sometimes referred as common sense manufacturing and it can be implemented by following some steps, which are described below
1. Making a team in your organization
2. Making a medium of communication as well as feedback
3. Communicating and explaining the initiative action to everyone
4. Starting the training process of employees about lean manufacturing
5. Analyzing the distance between the lean state and the present state
6. Setting up the lean foundation
7. Start the Total Product Maintenance, which is used in the entire process of lean manufacturing
8. Do value stream mapping which means that identifying the waste in the whole production process
9. Determining system waste
10. Start Process mapping in which each process is more clearly explained in detail
11. Take time
12. Identify the loss on each equipment and process
13. Make use of line balance where necessary
14. Reduce the cycle time to reduce cost
15. Do continuous flow analysis
16. Determine the quality and immediately stop low quality at the source
17. Implement new ideas, which are error free
18. Flow and layout enhancement or cellular manufacturing
19. Build up operations that are more consistent
20. Continue to enhance operations and functions
Some companies start their lean manufacturing process with the facility analysis in which determines opportunity areas in different sections such as service, production, shipping, sales, production, administration, engineering, quality, and maintenance. Besides this, there is sometimes a need of Six Sigma tools in the lean manufacturing process. In order to gain efficiency, lean team should be trained properly so that they can develop an understanding about when to use the lean tools and when to implement improvement (Davis, pg 23-44).
It is essential that companies follow the road map to bring lean manufacturing in their organizations and customize it accordingly but it should be kept in mind that a single process at the expense of the whole system cannot be enhanced.
Works Cited
Davis, John W. Lean Manufacturing: Implementation Strategies that Work : a Roadmap to Quick and Lasting Success. New York: Industrial Press, 2009.
Feld, William M. Lean Manufacturing: Tools, Techniques, and How to Use Them. Boca Raton, FL: St. Lucie Press. Alexandria, VA: APICS, 2001.
