Lean Production Flashcards
Lean production
Lean production aims to remove all these elements of waste from the production process, and as a result increase productivity and reduce costs ensuring that the quality remains.
Key component parts of an effective lean production system
The most important component parts of an effective lean production system are:
just-in-time manufacturing
Kaizen
cell production
time-based management methods
Just in Time (JIT)
just-in-time (JIT) tries to ensure that parts, raw materials and components are received, and products are made only when there is demand for both the parts and the products.For JIT to be successfully incorporated, a number of tools or features are needed, these include:
supplier relationships
customer relationships
employee involvement
kanban
management understanding
Advantages of JIT
Advantages: improves cash flow as very little stock is held waste is reduced as no obsolete or damaged stocks occur factory space can be freed up for more productive use ☑ costs of stock holding are radically reduced ☑ links with and the control of suppliers are improved, leading to better quality of components supplied motivation is improved as employees are given greater responsibility and encouraged to work in teams (as part of the lean production process). Disadvantages: a lot depends on the reliability and flexibility of suppliers. ordering and administration costs are likely to rise. bulk buying advantages may be lost . difficult to cope with sharp, unexpected increases in demand . reputation can be damaged if customers are let down by late deliveries as no buffer stocks are held. extra pressure on staff because of additional responsibility associated with a JIT system . unforeseen interruptions in supply
Kaizen
Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning continuous improvement.
Continuous improvement is an important aspect of lean production and is a theme of all world-class businesses. These world-class businesses take the view that one of the main objectives of their existence is to be continually making small incremental steps in the improvement of quality, design and waste reduction.
Key elements of kaizen
Key elements of Kaizen
All employees, from the managing director down to the shop floor workers, should be asking questions such as ‘how can I do what I do better?’ or ‘how can we do what we do better?’.
Kaizen does not ignore the need for new technology or large-scale capital investment; however, it does recognise that these are not the only methods of achieving increased competitiveness.
A motivated workforce - the workers must be committed to the business.
A management with belief in the capabilities of the workforce.
A trained workforce - the workers must have the ability to understand their roles and complete their tasks efficiently.
Effective communication systems - workers must be able to communicate suggestions to superiors and other relevant employees. This can be done through Kaizen groups, but other methods of communication must also be available.
Security of jobs - workers will not suggest process improvements if their jobs are threatened by these improvements. Kaizen does suggest that demand for labour will fall, although this should be achieved through natural wastage.
Management must have a clear understanding of the production processes in order that they can organise, control and plan appropriately. This will enable workers to meet the needs and quality requirements of the ‘customers’ within the organisation
Benefits of Kaizen
There are numerous benefits to the business of Kaizen, these include:
improved labour relations
increased competitiveness
reduction in waste
less large-scale investment
improved motivation
increased productivity
improved quality
Cell Production
With cell production, the production line is subdivided into a number of cells. These cells are groups of workers involved in related tasks. * The employees are trained so that they can fulfil a number of tasks within the cell. This allows job rotation. * The skills of the employees mean that they can each play a role in improving quality and also create flexibility in the production process. * Communication is improved and the job enrichment and enlargement elements of cell design improve motivation. * It is possible for cells to be self-managing with regards to many human resource management issues such as shift arrangements, breaks and holidays
Time based management
With this approach, time is regarded as a key business resource. Speed of development, speed of response and speed of delivery are becoming increasingly important. Speed adds value! With time-based management, emphasis is placed on reducing time taken in all aspects of the whole production process. It involves concepts such as just in-time, the use of CAD (computer-aided design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacture), critical path analysis and simultaneous engineering.
