Methodology for the implementation of Lean Enterprise

[Sandra Suastegui]

Development of the methodology for the implementation of Lean Enterprise in medium companies of the metal-mechanical branch.

The methodology that was developed must by objective be a guide for the implementation of the philosophy Lean Enterprise in medium companies of the metal-mechanical branch.

The methodology is made up of 5 phases and 13 steps altogether, these steps are cyclical, to obtain the continuous improvement in the organization, some of the steps can be made of simultaneous way.


Phase 1: Knowledge of the philosophy
1. - Qualification

The objective is to present the philosophy, its origins, objectives and the tools that conform it, are recommended to give the initially qualification to the high direction, because it hopes that of their interest born the enthusiasm, resources, among which they flow towards inferior levels of the organizational chart, for the operative personnel it is recommended to design qualification programs that they present Lead Enterprise but that they deepen in the tools, the qualification can be carried out in halls meetings of the same organization, with practical exercises and if it is possible to design a notebook of exercises, the qualification can be distributed by personnel of the same organization that have knowledge of the subjects to expose or can be distributed by organisms certifiers to who them this service can be solicited.

2. – Sensitivilitation

This stage consists of presenting the benefits and results that will be generated of the implementation of Lead Enterprise, it is suggested to speak of successful cases of companies which or they have happened through the implementation of this philosophy, his difficulties, but mainly the benefits obtained by these, it is suggested to give to the same information to all the layers of the organization to way of conference in some boardroom or some place that is considered suitable within the organization.

3. - Formation of equipment

These equipment will have to be integrated by members of several departments of operative level, which means that they will be formed by personnel of different specialties, will be chosen at random, this has the following objectives: Integration of personnel, to offer a panoramic vision of the situation of the company, to detect problems and to formulate them of detailed way, since they will be analyzed from different points of view, also will choose a leader of each group, which it will coordinate the activities that are assigned to the operational equipment and report it to the managers of the organization, which they will gather the observations of the equipment, determined action plans with the high direction, evaluate relations of cost-benefit, etc.

Phase 2: Determination of the chain of the value

It is possible to be defined as chain of value to the series of activities that add value to the product to the eyes of the client, is to say those attributes of the product who the clients consider vital for the good performance of the same one, is recommended to use QFD tools (Unfolding of the quality function) to gather the voice of the client. A good way to determine the activities that add value to the product, is to classify the wastes which they exist in the organization, to clarify this idea look the figure 2 that sample that if it is extracted of the conglomerate of activities that are made in the organization the wastes, the resultant is the activities that add value to the product.

4. - Classification of wastes

One of the innovating and excellent contributions of the philosophy Lean Enterprise is the classification of their wastes or (muda) as it says in Japanese, that they are 7 and they are enunciated next: overproduction, delays, unnecessary transportation, processing, defects, inventory, and movement.

Phase 3: Planning

5. - Hierarchial structuring of the problems

The parameter that was used to give priority to the problems was to take the aspects that obtained minor point in the initial evaluation that was make for the operational equipments.

6. - Elaboration of action plans

The work equipments, along with expert (engineer of projects) will elaborate projects for the resolution of the problems, several can be included for the resolution because they are employees, in these projects also added the implementation stages, the time of each one of them, in addition the cost will be added of implementing.

7. - Generation of controls

The design of the controls will be in charge of the work parties as well as of the person in charge of the area to improve to know the level implementation of each stage, the establishment of waited for indices of fulfillment for each activity is recommended to make and real compare data with the hoped ones making a proportion through the following one formulates to clarify the level of obtained fulfillment.

NI= VO/NC
Where:
NI = Level of implementation
NC = Level of Fulfillment
VO = Obtained Value


8. - Cost-Benefit analysis

Is responsibility of the high direction to analyze the factor cost-benefit from the resolution of the problems, is to say this is the final filter to take step to the directed activities to the implementation, this decision will be based according to the budgets and the necessities that are considered urgent for the organization, the analysis of parameters of economic engineering like the operating annualized ROCE and operating monthly ROCE.


Phase 4: Implementation

9. - Allocation of the strategies to the members of the department

Once established the action plan the manager of the department will assign to each member the contribution to the plan, besides to establish the times of accomplishment.

10. - Improvement of the areas critics according to objectives

The members of the area to improve will have to implement the changes which they were agreed to previously in the action plan and will be able to suggest methods or alternative actions, that improve the effectiveness without extending the terms, to reach the objectives of the organization applying the tools that are considered necessary which knew in step one of the methodology like (TPM, Six Sigma, SMED, Kanban, JIT, Kaizen, among others)

Phase 5: Continuous improvement

11. - To foment the participation of the employees (suggestions)

Monthly the manager of human resources makes the program of employee of the month, by his contribution to the plan and the 3 better implemented suggestions of the month will be awarded.

12. - Diffusion of results of evaluation of parameters

Each department will publish in special blackboards their results monthly and the level of fulfilment of each parameter to evaluate in their area.

13. – Schedule of beginning of cycle

Once concluded the action plan will program the beginning of the cycle.

[asutherland]

What????

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by asutherland

What????

I echo this comment. I am one of the charter members of the Lean Division of the American Society for Quality. We created the division as the "Advanced Manufacturing Interest Group." The blather contained in the original post makes MY head spin and I LOVE this topic. What would it do to someone who is "on the fence?"

The whole point of Lean is to make life easier and more efficient in the work environment. Even the academics don't complicate it this much!

[asutherland]

Lean Division of ASQ. . . . Not familiar with this division.
I wasn't able to find a website on it . . just the normal ASQ stuff.
Is there a site on this yet?

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by asutherland

Lean Division of ASQ. . . . Not familiar with this division.
I wasn't able to find a website on it . . just the normal ASQ stuff.
Is there a site on this yet?

You need to brush up on your search skills

http://www.asq.org/le/

[asutherland]

Brush up on my search skills? Perhaps. I don't even like looking for a cup if the cabinet is empty.

In any case, thanks for the site. I made it a "favorite" so that I dont have to look further than the cabinet any more.

[alekra]

Originally Posted by Wes Bucey

I echo this comment. I am one of the charter members of the Lean Division of the American Society for Quality. We created the division as the "Advanced Manufacturing Interest Group." The blather contained in the original post makes MY head spin and I LOVE this topic. What would it do to someone who is "on the fence?"

The whole point of Lean is to make life easier and more efficient in the work environment. Even the academics don't complicate it this much!

Sorry, but is this Methodology official or not? What shoul we use in our companies as reference?

Thanks in advance,

Alekra

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by alekra

Sorry, but is this Methodology official or not? What shoul we use in our companies as reference?

Thanks in advance,

Alekra

Please note that I can't think of any person I respect agreeing that the statement posted by Sandra Suastegui was a definitive description of how Lean should be implemented in any organization.

There are as many flavors of Lean as there are of TQM (Total Quality Management.) Just as every organization is different, almost every implementation of Lean within an organization will be different. My fellow ASQ members of the Lean "Forum" (soon to be upgraded to "Division" status - mainly a bookkeeping thing within ASQ) are still struggling with creating a Body of Knowledge for Lean because there is no consensus of how to implement Lean.

We do have some idea, however, of what features a Lean organization would probably exhibit:

Originally Posted by http://www.asq.org/le/about/index.html

LEF Specific Objectives: Promote Lean Enterprise principles and practices, provide training in the areas of Lean Enterprise and to be a source of Advanced Manufacturing information to ASQ members and others.

Area of Operation - The Lean Enterprise Forum intends to be a strong advocate in the following areas:

1.1. Eliminating wastes due to: overproduction, motion, inventory, transportation, waiting, underutilized people, defects, and over-processing
1.2. Robotics, automation and touch-free inspection
1.3. Advanced materials, modeling, design, and rapid prototyping
1.4. Computer applications in Lean Enterprise
1.5. Strategy, management and communication
1.6. Cost management strategies as part of competing in the global manufacturing economy
1.7. Energy and the environmental issues in Lean Enterprise
1.8. Reducing costs and cycle time in any process or operation
1.9. Building blocks of a Lean organization including: change management, value; stream mapping, workplace organization, visual systems, plant layout, quality at the source, batch size reduction, teams, quick changeover, point of use storage,total productive maintenance, cellular/flow, pull/kanban, and continuous improvement
1.10. Other aspects of Lean such as just-in-time, kaizen, autonomation, and value added versus non-value added activities
1.11. Agile manufacturing, Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM)
1.12. Quality and its role in Advanced Manufacturing
1.13. Role of quality professionals and Lean Enterprise


LEF Membership Benefits:

Besides being a part of ASQ's fastest growing forum, helping it to achieve its short term and immediate medium term goals described elsewhere, members benefit from networking with a community of like minded professionals. Members are invited to participate in helping with the newsletter, web-site, conference/workshop, recruiting new members, planning sessions, holding volunteer leadership positions, etc.

Sorry to say I am not responsible for the typographical errors in this screed, but I will bring them to the attention of the folks who have the power and authority to make the corrections.

To my knowledge, lean, like Six Sigma, has a fractured following, with many claiming to have the ONE TRUE WAY. My opinion is most are false prophets. The truth is many Lean advocates find themselves saying, "I know it when I see it and that ain't it."

The one thing many agree is that the words and terms (kaizen, Lean, poka yoke, muda, etc.) are merely words and, in most cases, work to EXCLUDE people from becoming a part of a Lean implementation rather than to INCLUDE them.

Note that NONE of those words are used in describing the objectives of the Lean Division.