Lean Manufacturing Tools

Kaizen events are short duration improvement projects with a specific aim for improvement; typically they are week long events led by a facilitator with the implementation team being predominantly members of the area in which the kaizen event is being conducted plus a few additional people from support areas and even management. Kaizen events although

Kaizen Definition   We can define kaizen very simply from its original Japanese as meaning “change for the better”, but what does this actually mean as a kaizen philosophy?   Japanese Kaizen   Kaizen began its life shortly after world war 2 when the US sent a number of advisers to help the Japanese rebuild

Having created your current state value stream map we move onto the more difficult task of creating an Ideal state map and your future state value stream maps. Your Ideal state value stream map is the ultimate goal of your improvement process and provides you with an objective to work towards, the future state map

This is a step by step guide to creating a current state value stream map, the first step in working towards your ideal state value stream and a truly lean system. Your current state value stream map is a team effort that is conducted by those people who are involved in the process, at the

What is VSM This article is an Overview of VSM, if you want more detailed information n please look at; Step by Step Guide to creating a value stream map Creating an ideal state VSM   Value stream mapping (VSM) is a lean manufacturing tool that seeks to map your process from supplier to customer,

What is process mapping? Process mapping your value stream is all about detailing the specific actions that are taken throughout your entire process or a specific portion of your processes. There are a number of process mapping tools that you can use to map your business, some of the most useful ones I will detail

What is Jidoka? The forgotten Pillar of the Toyota Production System   Jidoka is the often forgotten pillar of the Toyota Production system and lean manufacturing yet it is one of the most important principles of lean that can help you achieve true excellence. Jidoka is about quality at source, or built in quality; no

What is Autonomation? Autonomation is automation with a human touch; but what does that really mean and where has it come from? Sakichi Toyoda invented a loom in 1896 that not  only operated automatically but also stopped when any of the threads broke, this simple idea revolutionized the industry as instead of there being a

What is Poka Yoke Poka Yoke or Mistake proofing is a simple technique that developed out of the Toyota Production system through Jidoka and Autonomation.  It is normally a simple and often inexpensive device that prevents defects from being made or highlights a defect so that it is not passed to the next operation.  

OEE Formula   Your OEE calculation is based on a composite of the six big losses of your equipment broken down into three main areas; Availability, performance and quality. It is a very simple calculation in reality; OEE = Availability% x Performance% x Quality%   OEE (Overall Equipment effectiveness) is the main performance measure that