Interesting Discussion Lean Manufacturing Concepts - Is 'Lean' hype?

[Jim Wynne]

I would hope that all reasonable human beings would treat to a stop sign in the same way. Apply breaks until coming to a full stop (if cops are around, otherwise do the rolling stop).

You think that it's reasonable only because society expects it. In a different culture, where stop signs are widely disregarded, it might be unsafe to follow American rules. "Reasonable" is relative.

 

[Net123]

I voted in favor of lean,

In my opinion lean is not hype, but I have no doubt in my mind that soon all the consultants will team together and make it a hype and then scream at the whole idea in 3 years!

Recently I finished a two year program in lean operation management (Wayne State, MI), which started with reading ‘the machine that changed the world’. I thought that some very solid concepts are embedded in the ‘lean culture’.

I think ISO, lean, six sigma,(whatever you call improvement efforts in an organization) stem from the same principles, and to an extent have similar implementations(Current state mapping, gap analysis, and so on). Being very new to the implementing ‘change’ I am surprised to see how cynical most people in general are about all of these techniques. Arrhhhgg! I should have stuck to manufacturing.

 

[tarheels4 - 2007]

You think that it's reasonable only because society expects it. In a different culture, where stop signs are widely disregarded, it might be unsafe to follow American rules. "Reasonable" is relative.

NO I think it is reasonable because I don't what someone to crash and kill me or my kids. (reasonable to me in this case means not retarded)

 

[Helmut Jilling]

good theme - don't let it get lost

There is a good theme in this thread. I hope we don't let it get lost. JSW is correct - of course there is a cultural component to 5S.

Companies make a big mistake if they try to "mimic" Japanese methods, blindly and without thought. However, there is value in the concepts, whether they are Lean, 5S, mistake-proofing, etc. The best way to adopt any method is to learn and understand it first. Synthesize it. Make it yours. Then implement the concepts, in English, and make them yours. Then they have depth, and aren't just a 2 dimensional flavor of the month.

Perhaps that is why it sometimes there is cynicism on this board. There are a lot of sincere quality professionals who don't get the support from their management to actually accomplish some of these things. That tends to wear you out after a while.

 

[Statistical Steven]

I think ANY improvement effort has to come from top management, and not just be a project for the sake of projects. Lean, 6S, TQM, etc are and have been pet projects to "demonstrate" committment to quality. Without the appropriate analytics, and without the focus of the top management, the program will flounder. Just my :2cents

 

[Statistical Steven]

I think ANY improvement effort has to come from top management, and not just be a project for the sake of projects. Lean, 6S, TQM, etc are and have been pet projects to "demonstrate" committment to quality. Without the appropriate analytics, and without the focus of the top management, the program will flounder. Just my

 

[Manoj Mathur]

Sell The Concept -- That is Your Job too

Quite a often we used to hear this cry that in the absence of Top Management Support, There could not be done on the front and thus battle is lost.

I agree that Top management Support is MOST Vital for success of Lean (WCM) but is this not our duty to convience Top Management to go for WCM.

In any case any top management is not so fool who can not understand useful and Bottom Line Benifits to be obtained through implementation of Lean or WCM or such a program. But yes initially We have to Sell this concept to them. We have to try for a niche. We should translate concepts into Sucess Stories although in a small areas but the beams of great light shall lure any top management to adopt those program in any environment.
I say only one point to those who say "Lean (WCM) shall fail here because Top Management does not listen us" I say we have to sell first and that is the reason we are being paid for as change agent otherwise Top Management is wise enough and capabable for implementation of WCM (World Class Manufacturing).

Manoj Mathur

 

[Helmut Jilling]

I think ANY improvement effort has to come from top management, and not just be a project for the sake of projects. Lean, 6S, TQM, etc are and have been pet projects to "demonstrate" committment to quality. Without the appropriate analytics, and without the focus of the top management, the program will flounder. Just my :2cents

It is certainly better, and more widely implemented if supported by top mgt. However, I have seen many cases where a dept. can improve just with the support of the dept. mgr.

 

[psyched1]

It is certainly better, and more widely implemented if supported by top mgt. However, I have seen many cases where a dept. can improve just with the support of the dept. mgr.

Good people and agressive proactive management can make a difference.

I do believe that Lean is the word of the day and though Im just a young pup in comparison to some of you there was a great Video I watched once called "Right the First Time". It was made in England in the early 60's and many of the comparisons of lean thinking are mentioned in that video. Keeping inventories down, organizing the shop floor, keeping machinery working, and increasing throughput by doing the job right the first time.

In actuality if we could go back to Fords original assembly lines you would see many of the leans core concepts that consultants are peddling these days.

In my new company I use a NASCAR approach showing operators videos of pit crews. They get a boost out of that then I ask them how they could perform set ups like that. I also ask them if they notice what the number one thing that makes a quick turn around possibile at the pit. It takes a while but eventually organization hits them. Thats my spring board for the 5S's. The presentation was less popular in an office Kiazen so Im gonna have to work on it some.

 

[Helmut Jilling]

Good people and agressive proactive management can make a difference.

...

In actuality if we could go back to Fords original assembly lines you would see many of the leans core concepts that consultants are peddling these days.

We consultants peddle it, because too many companies are still not doing it. If we can effectively teach a company how to do these concepts, that would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

In my new company I use a NASCAR approach showing operators videos of pit crews. They get a boost out of that then I ask them how they could perform set ups like that. I also ask them if they notice what the number one thing that makes a quick turn around possibile at the pit. It takes a while but eventually organization hits them. Thats my spring board for the 5S's. The presentation was less popular in an office Kiazen so Im gonna have to work on it some.

Interesting, I use NASCAR pit crew anaolgies as well....great minds and all that...