When developing a plan for implementing lean manufacturing in a company, you should start with a trial run. Experts recommend first transferring a specific product, project or order to the new model. This way, it becomes possible to evaluate all the benefits of using the lean system.
During the implementation of new methods, it will be necessary to stop using traditional approaches to organizing the production process. From the entire list of losses, the most difficult one should be selected and work on it should be started. Having seen the positive changes from what has been done, the rest of the employees may become imbued with confidence in the lean system.
Problems of implementing lean manufacturing
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The most painless transition to a teacher data package lean mode of operation is made by enterprises specializing in the assembly of products on several flow lines, from which the final product is subsequently assembled. Most often, these are assembly plants. If transformations have begun in such an organization, then they will later spread to suppliers and distributors.
Transparency of participants is the main difficulty encountered in developing a lean approach. This method becomes most useful only if all participants in the process are visible. In other words, it will be necessary to disclose all trade secrets, financial reporting indicators, etc. Not all companies are willing to disclose such data.
Compliance with the following conditions will help overcome mistrust:
the value of each product line is determined by all participants in the flow;
All organizations should receive benefits in proportion to the amount of their investment;
All participants must be together and check flow areas on a regular basis to detect losses and then eliminate them.
According to statistics, the largest capital investments have to be made at the initial stages of the flow, when the production is retooled from the release of large batches to small-scale production. In this case, the main beneficiaries will be those companies that are at the last stages of the flow. As a rule, these are sellers of goods. To equalize the conditions of the participants, it is necessary to work out compensation mechanisms, for example, to contribute the same amounts to technical re-equipment, etc.
To implement a lean system in a company, the following conditions must be met:
there needs to be a “change agent,” or a person who has sufficient authority and who is not afraid of conflict and is willing to fight for the implementation of a new approach;
Not only the “change agent”, but the entire company must have basic data on the essence of the lean system and its processes;
the current business situation should be close to critical, since those organizations that are doing really badly are ready for radical changes;
It is necessary to have a clear understanding of what value creation streams are in an enterprise.
To implement the flow method of organization, the following steps must be taken:
Divide production into communities by product lines and organize teamwork with each of them.
Create a unit that will be responsible for organizing the collection of information on the work of groups and its subsequent analysis. In this way, the most effective practices can be identified and distributed to other groups.
Plan and carry out such actions that will result in the transition of traditional batch work to a flow process, and then carry out the modernization of technological equipment.
Develop key performance indicators for the company: reduction of inventory, work cycles, etc.
Personnel and implementation of lean manufacturing