Mass Production & Lean: What’s the difference?
Mass production is not considered to be a Lean production method. At the height of its innovation however, it did effectively lower the unit cost of many goods and improved the efficiency of facilities. In the spirit of Lean and continuous improvement, it’s important to keep finding ways to improve the organization and over time,…
Jesse Allred | June 17, 2019 | Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean Manufacturing | Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean Manufacturing | 3 min read
Foundational Concepts of Lean
Lean manufacturing utilizes a number of strategies and tools to improve the business by boosting productivity and eliminating waste. The following are just a handful of the most common Lean tools, many have been adopted from manufacturing in Japan and the Toyota Production System . 5S (The Visual Workplace) 5S is a system of creating…
Jesse Allred | June 7, 2019 | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 3 min read
Six Sigma Principles
The Six Sigma methodology is one that focuses on creating quality products and eliminating defects. Though Six Sigma is a vast idea that spans a number of Lean philosophies and methods, at its core, Six Sigma is driven by three principles: Process Improvement— Companies should take consistent action to eliminate root causes of deficiencies within…
Jesse Allred | February 18, 2019 | Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma | 3 min read
What is a Gemba Walk?
Gemba walks are an important concept in your Lean toolbox. Managers and business leaders go on (“go and see”) walks to observe firsthand how the production line is operating. The Objective of a Gemba Walk In businesses, managers often look to company leaders for direction. The value created by a business, though, exists out on…
Jesse Allred | February 11, 2019 | Gemba, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Gemba, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing | 3 min read
The 5S Shine Pillar – Inspection and Maintenance
The third step of 5S is Seiso, a Japanese term translated to mean Shine. During Shine, workers are encouraged to do a deep cleaning of their space, ensuring there is no grime, dust, or oil spills remaining. However, it is important to remember that cleaning is not the only facet of this phase and that…
Jesse Allred | January 15, 2019 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
Understanding Lean Principles
The lean manufacturing philosophy centers around five guiding concepts which are used to drive the behaviors of an organization. These five principles can help people at all levels of a company to understand what it is they should be doing and how it should be done. Of course, these lean principles aren’t going to layout…
Tony Ferraro | October 23, 2013 | Lean Manufacturing | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
Heijunka – Creating Flow
The word Heijunka is often used in the manufacturing industry, and it means sequencing, or smoothing of production. The idea behind this term is to help absorb sudden fluctuations or changes in the demand of the market. This is often done by producing several different models of a product, in smaller production batches. In practice,…
Tony Ferraro | October 9, 2013 | Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
Changeover – Creating Flow and Eliminating Waste
For those in the manufacturing industry, changeover is a term which is used when talking about converting a particular machine, or a line from creating one product to another. The most well known example of this would be in the automotive industry where it is necessary to do a changeover when updating to a new…
Tony Ferraro | October 7, 2013 | Lean Manufacturing | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
How to Organize Your Shop: Try 5S
Are you needing some organization in your workshop? Do you spend more time trying to find tools and supplies and less time actually working? Are you hoping to improve your efficiency and cut your waste down? Would doing all of this help to improve quality to the customer and possibly even reduce prices? Well, you…
Tony Ferraro | October 1, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace | 3 min read
Manufacturing Infographic
Manufacturing Day is on October 5. I hope they can fill all of these jobs they say they have just waiting for the right candidates. I’m not sure if all of that is because pay scales for some of these positions are only attracting less qualified applicants or if there truly is a line of…
Tony Ferraro | September 23, 2013 | Lean Manufacturing | Lean Manufacturing | < 1 min read
What is 5S and How Should We Implement It?
5S is, in the simplest terms, a method of creating, maintaining and improving a workplace which is clean, orderly, and has methods for detecting waste and errors built in. When used properly, it will help to identify areas where things are being done inefficiently, and come up with solutions for improvement. It will help to…
Tony Ferraro | September 4, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
Executing a 5S Launch
If you’re considering implementing a 5S system in a facility, it is essential to take the time to do it right. When done properly, the 5S system can be an effective way to clean and organize a workplace, allowing it to run more efficiently. If the 5S launch isn’t well thought out, it can lead to disaster.…
Tony Ferraro | September 4, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 3 min read
Connection Between 5S and Lean
In order to have a good understanding how 5S and lean concepts are connected, is important to first take a look at them separately. 5S is a way of measuring the implementation of lean manufacturing techniques. It is the foundation which is used to support lean manufacturing strategies from the beginning until full implementation. Lean manufacturing,…
Tony Ferraro | August 21, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
What is Kanban?
Kanban is a process management technique which can be used for a wide range of different things. It was developed using the Toyota “just-in-time” system, but it isn’t restricted to just manufacturing scenarios. In its simplest form, Kanban can be seen as a production system where new requests come in at one end and completed products come out…
Tony Ferraro | August 19, 2013 | Kanban, Lean Manufacturing | Barcoding, Facility Efficiency, Kanban, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
Lean and Kaizen are not meant to eliminate People
One of the most persistent problems companies experience when attempting to implement lean and/or Kaizen practices, is that people are always worried that it will lead to the elimination of jobs. Since the beginning of these methodologies, employees have feared that the increased efficiencies and other changes that take place will mean that there is…
Tony Ferraro | July 8, 2013 | Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
