problem, identify key errors, and even predict them before they occur. What if we designed the system so that certain errors cannot occur? This is the idea behind the poka-yoke method, which translates non-literally from Japanese as "error-proof." We see examples of this in everyday life: a SIM card with a cut corner that cannot be inserted upside down, or the noise that reminds us to take our card out of an ATM after withdrawing money. When working in the office, it is also easy to make a mistake through inattention, so it is worth looking for ways to avoid it or signal it. Examples include the spell checker in a word processor, which detects certain typos for us, or Gmail, which notices the word "attachment" in the body of an email and asks us if we have forgotten it.
7. Gestión ajustada
Gestión ajustada is most applicable to the waste mentioned above. The key postulate of this management concept is to "lean" the company by getting rid of all processes that are not absolutely necessary and do not in themselves represent a value for the customer. The first company to implement this method was Toyota.
To identify waste and thus find an opportunity to improve operations, we must ask ourselves the following question: "What is the customer willing to pay for our products and services?". Typically, many of the processes carried out, such as the transport of materials or company bureaucracy, generate costs without the customer being willing to pay more. Following some rules helps to reduce these losses. First, we must try to respond to demand rather than anticipate it. Incorrect forecasts lead to overproduction and excess stock, which translates into higher costs (for example, to maintain a larger warehouse). Consumption of warehouse space due to poor stock management certainly does not add value for the customer. Obviously
, a flexible response to demand requires reducing the time between placing an order and delivering the product to the customer as much as possible. Another important point is therefore to rationalize the production process (eliminating downtime and waiting) and logistics. This topic is being developed by Just-In-Time and Kanban techniques.
As already mentioned, defects are also waste, hence the insistence on rigorous quality control. If we don't get something right first time, the customer will not be willing to pay for us to have to correct it later. Using methods such as FMEA and Poka-Yoke reduces the waste associated with having to make corrections, servicing defective products and accepting complaints.
A prerequisite for the success of the Lean approach is, as with Kaizen, continuous improvement and in particular the search for activities that do not add value to the customer and their elimination. It is indonesia whatsapp mobile number worth asking whether all the internal documents, signatures and emails created are really necessary for the company to function.
8 Just in time
Companies are often faced with the choice between two types of waste. If production continuity is to be guaranteed, more stock must be kept. Reducing stock, on the other hand, brings tangible savings, but can lead to equally undesirable production interruptions if delivery is delayed. Of course, this problem affects manufacturing companies above all, and it is with them in mind that the following concept has been developed.
Just-in-time method stipulates that a minimum amount of stock is kept and that the materials needed for production arrive at the company when they are needed. But how to achieve such synchronization with suppliers? Of course, it is not easy and requires very good communication. That is why it is better to work with a small number of suppliers that you can trust. Location will be an important factor: the closer to our plant, the better. The most important thing is to transmit information about demand to suppliers; Toyota used the Kanban method for this, which in itself is so popular and interesting that it deserves a separate section.
Just-in-time works well for companies that are able to standardize their production. In addition, the key to success is often a good contract with the supplier, which transfers much of the responsibility for the entire process and the need to maintain stocks. This is possible when the company has a strong negotiating position vis-à-vis its suppliers and can dictate their terms to a certain extent. On the other hand, a similar effect can be achieved by integrating suppliers into the company, but even then the company's success depends on its ability to meet demanding requirements.
9 Kanban
One method that helps implement Just-In-Time is Kanban, a logistics system for maintaining relatively constant stock levels. It consists of automatically placing an order with the supplier when specific stocks fall by a certain amount. Originally, special pieces of paper were used for this purpose, which traveled from the receipt of the delivery to the departure of the finished product, at which point they were returned to the supplier as the order. Today, the system is electronic, which makes it even more useful.