tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67427679688327701922024-03-04T22:39:00.592-08:00Robert B. CampMr. Camp is a 30-year practitioner of Lean. He has worked with organizations as small as 20 employees, as well as those with global span and 30,000 employees. Increasingly, Mr. Camp finds himself working with leadership teams and directing the efforts of teams of Lean practitioners.Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-19302714158883563022015-09-09T04:00:00.001-07:002015-09-09T04:00:59.417-07:00“No Problem is Problem”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qFHmguPrE71dPEmwZz-UsHbZze2tANGOWhYxuZ86GKM5TIy5NSISMM6Lz8Ymly16c8Gd5rZZA2oE1xs9EgHIHDKi8AsGMTM5MNnQIRbxMUm6Lo7mbv64vuMFHzaEHrVPZ-k7WvdpjWQw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-09+at+3.41.25+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qFHmguPrE71dPEmwZz-UsHbZze2tANGOWhYxuZ86GKM5TIy5NSISMM6Lz8Ymly16c8Gd5rZZA2oE1xs9EgHIHDKi8AsGMTM5MNnQIRbxMUm6Lo7mbv64vuMFHzaEHrVPZ-k7WvdpjWQw/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-09-09+at+3.41.25+AM.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not sure to whom credit for that statement belongs. I suspect it is one that originates in the Japanese culture, part of their </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">corporate wisdom. In the world of Lean, the statement has always been understood to mean, “the (apparent) absence of a problem IS a problem.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The statement implies that we float in a virtual sea of problems and to say there is “no problem” is to lie; or, to be more Politically Correct, that we’re sweeping our problems under the rug.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further implied in the statement is that, if we sweep our problems under the rug, if we hide them from others, we diminish, at least by one, the number of minds working to eliminate the problem. How can that be good?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is another quotation often cited in Lean: “A defect is a treasure.” I have always found this statement to further illuminate the meaning of the first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first tried to wrap my mind around how a defect could be something I treasured, I came to the realization that, once discovered the defect could be targeted and its <i>source</i> eliminated; that, until it was discovered, the defect could repeat over and over. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, once recognized and the problem’s root cause identified, many minds could be employed to eradicate the source all together. Hence, finding that defect led to the elimination of <i>all</i> such defects, making the <i>discovery</i> of the defect a treasure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These seeming contradictions are plentiful in Lean. I have grown to enjoy them. They force me to ponder their meaning and that makes me stronger in my pursuit of continuous improvement: not only of processes, but of myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me come full circle, though. Isn’t the hiding of a problem something common in US business (and in personal lives, as well)? Whether we want to present the image that “I’ve got things under control;” or, whether we’re trying to convey the image of our business (or our lives) being a smooth surface with no ripples, either is a lie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Problems are a part of life. To deny their existence; or, to present the image that “we’ve got our problems under control,” is to misrepresent the truth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we tell our kids, when you don’t deal with a problem right away, it has a tendency to fester and grow worse. If that’s true, aren’t we better off to admit our problems and seek help?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, as leaders, don’t we create healthier, happier work places when workers can admit to problems they’re having and request help without recrimination? I think so. How about you? What do you think?</span></div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-78809839037708604292015-08-31T10:07:00.000-07:002015-09-01T11:51:59.810-07:00Fun With 5S - The Garage Game<div>
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This question always draws nervous laughter. You see, most people store their 1st or 2nd most valuable possession in the driveway, outside the garage. Why? Because their garage is full of … well, stuff.</div>
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For those who didn’t have a garage, I ask them to think of a storage area: basement, attic, closet, shed or even rental unit. Then I give everyone two sticky notes and have them write down two things that are in their storage area.</div>
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I collect the notes and put them inside an open square I’ve drawn on the whiteboard. I jam all those sticky notes into the virtual “garage.” </div>
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As I put them in, I read them out to the audience. That always draws laughs, as we’ll invariably get three lawnmowers or whacky things like baby buggies from empty nesters.</div>
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Then I create three additional areas on the board: Sell, Donate and Trash.</div>
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For the next 20 minutes we go item by item through the sticky notes. I take them out of the garage and put as many as possible in the three new areas. Then, we carefully put the items that we intend to go in the garage in the “right” place, based on the frequency of its use: refer to my post on Distance vs. Frequency Charts.</div>
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While I’m doing this, I make a point of explaining how valuable “donating” is. For the individual, it creates a tax write off, and, if they’ve got a lot of … stuff, that can help offset some serious income. It can be even more valuable for a company. Don’t just think about the tax consequences of the donation. Think about what you’re doing for your community and the “good will” you’re building for your company.</div>
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I once had a company donate 15 computers to a local school. The school couldn't afford them, but now could set up a computer lab. What a difference that made to their students!</div>
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It’s funny, when I use this tool, participants will often come up to me within a few days and tell me privately: “I went home and 5S’ed my garage,” or, “I went home and 5S’ed my kitchen.” </div>
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People can connect with the Garage Game. Try it and find out.</div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-1872248590107943142015-08-29T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-29T09:28:00.672-07:00Distance vs. Frequency Chart<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;">
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In a 5S Kaizen event, we eliminate as much from the work area as we can. What remains, we locate as close to the Point of Use (POU) as possible. </div>
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One of the tools we use to determine where to locate things is the Distance vs. Frequency Chart. </div>
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We start by monitoring the tools used at the station in the course of performing that job. Using a check sheet, we simply tick off each time that tool is used. </div>
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Using a Spaghetti Diagram (discussed in a previous post), we record the distance the operator walks to get it. </div>
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Putting the two together, we create the Distance vs. Frequency Chart.</div>
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Now, we get a picture of how we’re wasting time. If we look at the tallest bar in the chart, we see that the operator walks five feet to get that particular tool; not all that far, but they do it 140 times a day. </div>
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What did we learn? By knowing how often we use something, and how far we travel to get it, we get a good idea of how to reorganize our workplace.</div>
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For the sake of argument, let’s presume that tool you’re walking to get is a three-hole punch. You get up from your desk an average of 140 times each day to use that communal punch. Does that make sense?</div>
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Now, before you move the hole punch closer to you, or purchase one for your desk, ask yourself: why am I punching holes in the first place? Is there a smarter way to do this job?</div>
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Consider creating a file and folder on your computer or on a shared drive. Save the same document (as PDF or Word document) in that file in such a way that it is searchable multiple ways: e.g. by date, by title, by client, etc.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The Distance vs. Frequency Chart illustrates, once again, that knowledge is power.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> As soon as we know what’s happening we can take steps to remedy the problem.</span></div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-30749251501893357212015-08-27T10:17:00.001-07:002015-08-27T11:01:34.912-07:00Spaghetti Diagrams<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s a spaghetti Diagram you ask? It’s a really nifty tool that maps the movements of an individual operator during the making of one product. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The map begins with a floor layout. Then, each time the operator walks, you draw a line from where they started to where they end up. See the “Before” diagram below. REFERENCE: RM = Raw material; FG = Finished Goods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The diagram below is a simple one. For intricate assemblies, involving lots of movement, the lines cross so often that the result is something that looks like a plate of spaghetti; hence, the name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Remember that <i>Excess Movement</i> is one of the original 7 Wastes. In the “Before” diagram below, movement doesn’t seem to be much of a problem. The operator only moves 81 feet to complete one product. Not bad, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, look at the “After” diagram below. By simply rearranging the same equipment, we’ve been able to reduce <i>Excess Movement</i> to 10 feet. So what?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The time <span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">not</span> spent walking is time spent making product. Going back to the original premise that “Value is anything for which the customer will reimburse you,” there is no value in movement; it doesn’t make the product any more valuable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Premise #2: “Any cost not borne by your customer comes out of your profit.” Hence, any reduction in movement is a reduction in YOUR cost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An example might help. I once worked with a computer cabinet maker. The sheetmetal components were large and scattered around the workstation. A spaghetti diagram revealed that the operator walked over a quarter of a mile in the assembly of one cabinet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s do the math. If a human walks at a rate of 3 MPH, then a quarter of a mile takes five minutes to walk. Removing the walk </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">time, by placing all the components within arms reach, this operator was able to assemble one more cabinet a day. Not only did we remove cost, we increased productivity. Oh, and the operator exerted less work in the making of the products. Everyone won.</span></div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-51608219250707532432015-08-22T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-22T09:34:56.502-07:00Dealing with "Monuments"<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU9KSjF8hWfQvuGiwO-aMGSwhzKqKBVuHskUdoqRnpf88xKPce7KcYNVEnGI0AkJNprE83PYPvH7ihJvWeqjw7U0wnn8uJyVR4DoQacbCLtbf5KdimmnIm7aM184Cvu-NEe2nTQEdlMA7/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-21+at+11.14.23+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU9KSjF8hWfQvuGiwO-aMGSwhzKqKBVuHskUdoqRnpf88xKPce7KcYNVEnGI0AkJNprE83PYPvH7ihJvWeqjw7U0wnn8uJyVR4DoQacbCLtbf5KdimmnIm7aM184Cvu-NEe2nTQEdlMA7/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-21+at+11.14.23+AM.png" width="239" /></a>“What’s a monument?” you ask. </div>
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Most organizations have large pieces of equipment that weigh tons, are often half submerged or above the roof, sometimes contain liquids (like plating chemicals), usually process in batch and would cost a bundle to move. <i>Those</i> are monuments.</div>
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As we start to reorganize our Value Streams to create “pull,” we move smaller pieces of equipment closer together, usually within arms reach of each other. Not so the monuments. How then do we deal with them?</div>
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I can offer two suggestions. I’d enjoy hearing how some of you have dealt with them.</div>
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Suggestion 1: Rearrange your smaller pieces of equipment around the monument. Arrange them in such a way that the monument is in the correct process order.</div>
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Suggestion 2: Treat the monument as a “curtain” operation.</div>
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<b>Rearranging</b> is a great option if the monument only services one operation; or, if there is room to rearrange all the operations served in a way that has the equipment radiating out from the monument likes spokes in a wheel. </div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Curtain Operations</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> leave the monument in place and continue to move the work to and from it. Using this method, one treats the monument as if it’s behind a curtain: a’ la </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The Wizard of Oz.</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> The product goes behind the curtain today and comes out tomorrow. We break the Value Stream at the curtain. The previous processes end at the curtain; subsequent processes resume when the product exits.</span></div>
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An example might help: A metalworking firm I worked with made the decision to get out of the plating business. It was too expensive, not their core competence, and their equipment was outmoded. Instead, they sent their work out to a local plater with the understanding that, what the plater picked up today, MUST be returned tomorrow, or financial consequences would ensue.</div>
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So, all the other process equipment was relocated into a ‘U’ close to the receiving dock. The first half of the Value Stream would complete all its processes, then stage the product for pickup by the plater. Meanwhile, the second half of the Value Stream finished what the plater delivered today. In this example, there was a planned 24 hour gap between the first and second halves of the Value Stream.</div>
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Relying on outside suppliers in the middle of a process can be problematic, but problems are just opportunities disguised as inconveniences.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-w529g8bDhyphenhypheneTt4Bb6X5dxEBVdpB5hXdw4sELHfQGKa9hqILVdrxE4Qa5VI61sAagPYbY-xJNjG1YKXLJ_jjGyRnxa8HS3Apc3OFlBQq2rgzv0GvAcHwBeFv5j5Q3JjveA7qGNuhr3N8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-21+at+11.14.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-w529g8bDhyphenhypheneTt4Bb6X5dxEBVdpB5hXdw4sELHfQGKa9hqILVdrxE4Qa5VI61sAagPYbY-xJNjG1YKXLJ_jjGyRnxa8HS3Apc3OFlBQq2rgzv0GvAcHwBeFv5j5Q3JjveA7qGNuhr3N8/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-21+at+11.14.41+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">For instance, in the plating example above, the metalworking firm soon found that the plater sometimes lost their parts in the tanks.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 11px;"> When that happened, the metalworker missed its </span><span style="font-size: 11px;">delivery</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 11px;"> commitments. </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">How did they cope with that?</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">The metalworker created a cart for each type of part to be plated.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">Each cart was designed to hold a specific number of parts.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">That number matched what the metalworker needed to ship the following day and, yes, it was always the same amount.</span></div>
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The carts eliminated both guesswork and counting for both parties.</div>
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When the plater picked up the cart, they could tell at a glance if the cart was full. Same with the metalworker when the plater dropped the cart off the following day. The cart became a Poka-Yoke (mistake proofing) device.</div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-37955089364264419862015-08-19T10:21:00.001-07:002015-08-19T10:21:07.574-07:00Kamishibai (紙芝居) Boards<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(37, 37, 37); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #252525; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
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Kamishibai is another of those Japanese terms that doesn’t translate easily into English. The concept is simple, but only recently duplicated in the Western World. Why learn about it? Because the Kamishibai board is a very powerful visual management tool.</div>
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<b>A little history.</b> Originally Kamishibai were used by Japanese monks as moral storytelling tool. Their use began around the 12th century. The tool was comprised of a small wooden theater with a opening in its center. A paper scroll was exposed, frame by frame, in this center opening, so that only one picture at a time was visible. While the picture was exposed, the monk told a story. The combination of picture and words conveyed the moral pith.</div>
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<b>What is a Kamishibai Board?</b> Scroll forward a few centuries and we get a modern use of the tool. The most simple explanation is that a Kamishibai board is that it is a visual tool used to <i>tell the story</i> of an area’s readiness. </div>
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<b>How does it work?</b> The board holds a series of pockets in which cards are placed. Each card has an instruction on it, telling its reader, typically a manager, something they need to inspect. Well written cards also contain instructions on what “good” looks like.</div>
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Finally, the card has colored sides: e.g. red and green. If the area being inspected passes, the card is replaced in its pocket, green side facing out. If the area fails, the card is replaced, red side facing out. </div>
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<b>Constant Vigilance </b>The focus of each card is chosen to examine area weak spots where constant vigilance is required.</div>
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Not every card needs to be used every day. They can be chosen at random or taken in sequence. When the manager is finished, the board “tells a story” about the area’s readiness. Area managers pay attention to the board and correct any deficiencies as quickly as possible. The board keeps everyone on their toes and ensures constant vigilance. </div>
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The use of Kamishibai boards is just one more way that Lean practitioners maintain focus on the things that are important.</div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-10536844712120978862015-08-14T09:55:00.000-07:002015-08-14T09:55:54.799-07:00Large Room Management (大部屋 Obeya)<div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 11px;">A lot of Americans bridle at the use of Japanese terms to describe Lean things. I feel very much the opposite. Language springs from cultures and shared experiences. So, when I use a Japanese word, it's because it describes something that isn't the same as terms we recognize. Obeya (Oh-Bay-Ah) is such a term. We </span><span style="font-size: 11px;"><i>think</i> we know what it means, but do we? Let's check.</span></span><br />
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Most in the Western world are familiar with the “War Room” concept. Originally, it was a tent and later a room. It was rimmed with maps and bulletins about the enemy. It was a place where allies gathered to plan strategy and tactics against their common enemy. </div>
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The War Room concept was later modified for business and became a room where those planning (and often executing) a project gathered to share updates. Walls were covered with graphs, drawings and Gantt Charts, and participants were welcome to wander in and out between scheduled updates. </div>
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Much like the War Room, the Asian Obeya or “Large Room” is a place for members of a team to gather, but there are some significant distinctions.</div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Occupancy:</b> The “Large Room” (Obeya) isn’t just a place to meet. In addition to meeting there, team members usually occupy the Large Room full-time. This becomes where they work.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Cross-Functional: </b>The team of occupants usually represent all the disciplines involved in the execution of a project. To give you a sense of its use, the Obeya is used by companies like Toyota for the design and execution of a new car. From concept to launch, members from all the disciplines involved move into the Large Room and take up residence.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>One Team:</b> Team members are encouraged to think of themselves as a single team. While the details of what goes on within the Big Room may not be shared outside it; within it, everyone is encouraged to see their teammates as part of one large team.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Wall Adornments: </b>Like a war room, the walls of the Large Room are covered with charts and reports, but far more. It’s typical for disciplines within the larger team to have their own wall space. They frequently meet at their part of the wall and discuss their own tactics, advances made, and problems encountered. Later, the same sub-team charts will be used to brief the larger team, not just the leaders: everyone.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Surfacing Problem:</b> The surfacing of problems is welcomed at all times, but especially in the Large Room process. With some Japanese companies, problems not only don’t get swept under the rug, everyone is encouraged to surface them. In this frame of thinking, the identification of a problem leads to its solution. The solution leads to advances, and often breakthroughs. Hence, bringing a problem to light is seen as a very good thing.</li>
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I’ve posted about Kaikaku in the past. Different from Kaizen, with it’s narrow focus and tight time frame, a Kaikaku tackles an entire <i>system</i> at once. Because of the huge scope, a Kaikaku takes weeks, and often months, to complete. They are usually selected because they frequently lead to industry breakthroughs and may be part of the Hoshin Kanri process.</div>
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The Large Room Management style is frequently used to facilitate the Kaikaku process.</div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-66401866566192177972015-08-11T11:12:00.002-07:002015-08-11T11:12:36.309-07:00VSM Part #7 - Aftershock <br />
I've had the good fortune to hear from some of my readers and noticed a few disturbing trends. It appears that there may be one more post I need to write. Those of you who use Value Stream Maps as a matter of course, can ignore what follows, but those who hesitate to create one; or, who find yourselves all wound around the axel as you try to create or use it, you may want to read on.<br />
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I wrote this series because I find two recurring themes with VSMs:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't make the process too difficult</td></tr>
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1. Practitioners make the process too difficult;<br />2. The wrong people try to use them. </blockquote>
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I hope that this series helps readers to change that. <br />
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One other trend I've noticed is that practitioners try to get too granular in the collection of data for their initial "Current State." The result is that they make the process too complicated and get defeated before completing. As an example: I've had a reader tell me that they try to average 30+ cycle times before they feel they have a good sample size for a process step. <br />
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Heck, until you've instituted Standard Work, that's way too much work for something that is, at best, a moving target. Start with course measures. Take two, maybe three samples to start, and get more detailed with each successive Kaizen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At first, focus on the whole forest, not individual trees</td></tr>
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Besides, initially, you're looking at the big picture: the health of the entire forest, not individual trees. You want to know: How are we communicating inside & outside the organization? How are we ordering material and how are we shipping finished goods? How much inventory (WIP, Raw Materials & Finished Goods) do we have tied up? What's our ratio of VA to NVA? How many people are we employing to perform the work? Are we pulling or pushing? What's the state of maintenance, changeovers, quality, etc.? <br />
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Remember: the "Current State" VSM is just a baseline. It will be the standard against which you'll judge future improvements. Also recall the words of Taiichi Ohno, the putative Father of Lean:<br />
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That first VSM, the initial "Current State," is just a quick "State of the Business" analysis. Like a Hoshin Kanri, it's used to guide your transformation from there.<br />
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I hope this series has achieved two goals:<br />
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<li>You'll give the creation of a "Current State" VSM a shot. Take your time. Get it <i>close</i>, not precise.</li>
<li>You'll ask yourself, what are we learning about our business and how will that help us transform into a better version of ourselves?</li>
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Feel free to contact me with your questions, comments or observations: robert@gettingtolean.com<br />
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Meanwhile, Get Lean, Stay Lean!<br />
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<br />Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-25663859180554626102015-08-08T11:25:00.002-07:002015-08-08T11:25:41.368-07:00VSM Part #6B - Importance to Decision-Making ("If this, then that")<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
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The VSM tells leaders* what is obstructing flow within the value stream. Trust me, there’s always something, but suppose this is the first time they’re reviewing the VSM. What are they looking for?</div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>CT > TT</b>. The number one obstruction to flow is any Cycle Time that is greater than Takt Time. You'll want to correct that post haste.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Large amounts of I<b>nventory</b>. Inventory is one of the original seven wastes. The more you have, the more of your money is tied up and the slower your cash flows. Reduce inventory as much as possible and still be able to meet your customer's demand. Notice: I didn't say reduce to zero.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>High Defects</b>. Defects are also a waste. Defects automatically engender additional cost. Defects must be winnowed down to zero. Yes, zero.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Low Uptime</b>. Low uptime speaks to undependable equipment and that will adversely affect your ability to consistently meet customer demand. Equipment should be available 100% of the time it s needed.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Low Available Time (AT)</b>. Recall that Available Time is the numerator in the calculation for TT. The less AT you have, the faster you need to make products to meet customer demand. Excessive speed can lead to defects; so, you want to increase AT whenever possible.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>High Changeover time (CO)</b>. As we all know, CO time has a direct and inverse impact on Inventory: i.e. the longer the CO time, the higher the Inventory. You'll want to be ruthless in driving CO time as low as possible.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Large supplier deliveries,</b> especially if made infrequently. This is a signal that you aren’t using Kanbans or some other JIT methodology. The result is excess inventory. See #2 above. Drive supplier delivery size and frequency to the best mix of small size and high frequency.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Large, infrequent deliveries</b> to the customer. This condition leads the customer to have excess money tied up in inventory (they have to warehouse what you ship until consumed), but it also means you have to warehouse it <i>before</i> you ship. The consequence is that, unless you’ve made provisions to be paid for work in progress, you have your money tied up while you wait to ship. Drive delivery size and frequency to the best mix of small size and high frequency (taking into account transportation costs).</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Unrealistic forecasts</b> are useless. An annual, or rolling six month forecast has value as it conveys trends, but you want data on which you can hang your hat. Work with suppliers and customers to develop reports that give "actionable data."</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><b>MRP & Scheduling </b>need to be addressed. MRP systems should be used, almost exclusively, to develop material forecasts and costs. If used to schedule your operation, choose only a few "pacemaker" operations (one is preferable) to schedule.</li>
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Once you know where flow is obstructed and what those obstructions are, you can plan your Lean events. Typically, these are Kaizen events. What events will you plan? Here's a list you'll want to review.</div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>For <b>CT > TT</b> you’ll generally choose a <b>Standard Work </b>event. </li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Since inventory is generally directly proportional to changeover time, you’ll want to conduct a <b>SMED</b> event to reduce <b>CO</b> time. You may also want to implement Kanbans or supermarkets while you're at it. </li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>High defects</b> are frequently the result of variation (executing the process differently from time to time), so you’ll want to conduct either a <b>Standard Work</b> or <b>Total Quality Control</b> event. Since poorly maintained equipment can also lead to defects, you'll need to use your judgement whether you'll need to conduct a <b>Total Productive Maintenance</b> event.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Low uptime</b> is generally indicative of poor maintenance practices and should lead to a <b>Total Productive Maintenance</b> event.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Low available time</b> can result from a number of concerns, but its remedy should begin with <b>Standard work.</b> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once you've completed a Standard Work event, the sum of CTs divided by TT for the operation gives a great indicator of the number of workers needed. REMEMBER: you can't have fractions of workers, but you can flex workers or hire part-time help. You'll also want to reduce that fraction to zero in that operation's next Kaizen event.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>As discussed above, <b>high Changeover Time</b> is addressed by a <b>SMED</b> event.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Large supplier deliveries</b> point to a number of concerns:</li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Inability of supplier to deliver reliable quality</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Wild fluctuations in customer orders (Acme’s +/- 50% variation is a good example)</li>
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The first two and last item need to be addressed by your procurement group. The third needs to be addressed by the sales organization.</div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Large customer deliveries</b> are often the result of customers not being able to trust <i>your</i> delivery or quality (or their own forecasts). You need to address these first, then work a new schedule with your customer.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span><b>Unrealistic forecasts</b> (on your part) probably need to be addressed using a Kaikaku. This isn’t a week-long event. More likely, it will take weeks or months. It will have representatives from all the internal stakeholders and, if you’re smart, will include representatives from both your customer and supplier(s). This event will take time to identify the root cause(s) of your inability to forecast more realistically and then develop reliable solutions.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><b>MRP & Scheduling</b> should be de-coupled, as much as possible, from your day-to-day operations. Use your MRP system to schedule and track incoming raw materials and customer orders. Identify the "pacemaker" operation(s) that can "pull" product to them and, if you use your MRP system in production, schedule <u>only those operations</u>. The "pacemaker" is where you'll indicate what version of your product you want, and in what frequency. Once the "pacemaker" is scheduled, it cascades a "pull" signal back upstream causing the production of the indicated product. This results in both "flow" and "pull."</li>
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I welcome your insights and feedback. You can contact me at: <b>robert@gettingtolean.com</b></div>
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* In my last post, I explained why only the most senior leader or the Value Stream Manager should <i>use</i> the VSM to make improvements. </div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-28757462195313475622015-08-05T09:13:00.000-07:002015-08-05T09:13:02.647-07:00VSM Part #6A - Importance to Decision-Making (Who, What & How Often?)<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
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To this point, we’ve examined the mechanics of the Value Stream Map (VSM). We’ve looked at the the flow of the process, at the data boxes, at the flow of communication and the overall assessment of value adding vs. non-value adding.</div>
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All of this has been to reach the point that <i>leaders</i> can make informed decisions about how to use their limited Lean assets to improve flow.</div>
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There are two key points I’d like to make before addressing those decisions.</div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>First, the VSM is a <i>leadership</i> tool. While everyone is encouraged to read and understand it, VSMs are not intended to be <i>used</i> by others in the organization. Why? Because only senior leaders (or the Value Stream Manager) control the <i>Lean Assets</i> (discussed below) needed to improve the value stream.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Second, Value Stream Analysis (VSA) needs to be performed from the customer backwards. Remember: the VSM is a tool used to identify obstructions to flow and then remove them. Not all obstructions will impact the customer equally when removed. So, the order in which we remove them is from the customer back to the supplier.</li>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Removing Obstacles to Flow </b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This last bullet (above) may not seem intuitive, so let me use an example:</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Picture a value stream in which Takt Time (TT) = 22 seconds.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Cycle Time (CT) at operation #2 is 45 seconds; more than twice TT.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> Meanwhile, </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">CT on operation #5 also exceeds TT, but only by 15 seconds.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Some might want to attack the larger problem (operation #2) first, but let’s examine what would happen.</span></div>
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Hypothetically, we’d conduct a Kaizen event to get CT at operation #2 down to TT or less. But ask yourself, how much faster will product flow to the customer? It will flow at the pace of the slowest operation closest to the customer, in this case, operation #5. Why? Because we didn’t remove that obstacle. So, all the product we can now <i>push</i> through operation #2 will just jam up between operations 2 & 5.</div>
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If, however, we get the CT at operation #5 to TT first, it will start draining the lake of inventory in front of it.</div>
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Then, when we remove the obstruction at operation #2, product will flow at TT all the way to the customer. So, with rare exception, correct problems closest to the customer first, then work your way back to the supplier, one operation at a time.</div>
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REMEMBER: The goal isn’t just to get Value Stream flow down to TT or less, but to do it in such a way that value is <i>pulled</i> from each successive operation.</div>
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As I said above, <span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">VSMs are a leadership tool.</span> In the event that your organization hasn’t been structured into individual value streams, with their own Value Stream Managers, the senior leaders at the site should be the ones reviewing the VSM. This review is most often referred to as a <b>Value Stream Analysis</b>, or VSA.</div>
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Reviewers, which include the senior leader and their staff (or the VS Mgr and their staff), should analyze the VSM no less frequently than monthly. Obviously, if there is a VS Mgr, he or she should be reviewing the VSM as a tool of <i>constant</i> feedback. </div>
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What’s magical about a <b>monthly review</b>? In a Lean organization, a month is a long period of time and during that period at least one Kaizen event should occur. Every time you conduct a Kaizen event, you change one or more dynamics in the VSM; hence, the cause for review.</div>
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What are Lean Assets? When I refer to “<b>Lean Assets</b>,” I’m referring to some or all of the following: </div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Your Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager* and any staff under his or her direction;</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Any process or equipment that will need to be taken offline so as to conduct an event;</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>Any product you’ll need to build ahead so you can shut the process or machine down for the event, including any overtime you’ll have to approve to build that product;</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>The team that will be assembled to conduct the event and perform any follow-on activities.</li>
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So, in this post we’ve examined Who uses the VSM, What they are looking for and How Often they will conduct their reviews. In the next post, we’ll examine how leaders will use the VSM to allocate their Lean assets. </div>
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*NOTE: The title for the senior Lean person is immaterial. What is important is that you have one and that they report directly to the senior person at the site. Even when you have VS Managers, an overarching Lean leader (CI Manager) is critical and becomes a key resource to the VS Managers.</div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-34312447381537765482015-08-03T11:26:00.001-07:002015-08-03T11:26:35.411-07:00Value Stream Map - Part 5: Value Add vs. Non-Value Add<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the critical features of a Value Stream Map (VSM) is the sawtooth chart at the bottom of the map. Many overlook this chart, as it seems superfluous when you’re first constructing the VSM, but it’s has two key uses:</span><br />
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>The sawtooth gives you an immediate sense of how much of your customer’s time is spent waiting, rather than performing things for which they’re paying you.</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span>It becomes a standard against which to judge future progress, what we call a "baseline." </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px;">Let me take a quick sidebar. I hope it's clear that YOU pay for all Waste (Non-Value Adding, or NVA </span><span style="font-size: 11px;">Activities</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px;">). You might say, "It's just wait time and I'm not really adding labor or anything to my work, so what's the cost?" The answer is that you are prematurely paying for all material and labor already invested in this product. Since you aren't prepared to work on the product, you have your $$$ sitting in queue. You are also delaying your own reimbursement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px;">The longer you take to make a product, the longer you have your capital tied up and the longer your cash flow. And then there's the <i>cost of capital</i>, the difference between </span><span style="font-size: 11px;">what you are making while your product/service is being worked on (nothing), and what you could make if you invested that money. Finally, there's the <i>opportunity cost:</i> the cost of losing opportunities you could have undertaken had your process not been clogged with things you aren't even working on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s examine the chart above in greater detail. An example of this detailed exam is on the left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The value on top of each tooth is the amount of inventory ahead of that operation. As discussed in a previous post, Inventory is measured in units of time. This value is a rough gauge of how long the customer waits before you perform your next operation for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The value on the bottom of each tooth is the cycle time (CT) to perform that operation for one item. See the example to the left. It says that your customer waits nine days for you to perform 25 seconds of value adding on the first part in this lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">NOTE: Some would have you post the value of the cumulative CT to process the whole lot, and not just one piece. That will create problems later, when we perform a CT vs. TT comparison. That comparison is critical, since it informs us whether we can meet customer demand It's also used in </span>calculating<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the number of employees needed to meet customer demand. As a result, I put </span><u style="font-family: inherit;">individual</u><span style="font-family: inherit;"> CT in this space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, at the far right side of the sawtooth (pictured on your left) you can see a rectangle with two boxes within it. These boxes contain the sum of all the Inventory and Cycle Times respectively. This ratio gives us a rough idea of our Value Add vs. Non-Value Add for the value stream. That ratio is important for the reasons stated above.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the example at the top of the page, the sum of Inventory time is 13 days. The sum of Cycle Time is 63 seconds. From here on, this becomes a math problem. First, we need to convert everything to common units of measure. 13 days x 24 hours/day x 3,600 seconds/hour = 1,123,200 seconds. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since waiting is a form of waste, we can accurately say that this time is NVA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">63 seconds / 1,123,200 seconds = .00005608974…. We then multiply that value times 100, to calculate the percent of total wait time that is spent working on the client’s product. The resultant value is .00560897%. In short, </span>this<span style="font-family: inherit;"> organization works on their client’s product less than one percent of the time they make that client wait. The message? We have lots of room for improvement! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This value now becomes part of our data <i>baseline</i>. Every time we improve the flow of this value stream we should also be diminishing the amount of wait time. As a consequence, the percent of Value Adding time should constantly increase. Because we baselined, we can tell if we're improving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As Taiichi Ohno stated: "Where there is not standard, </span>there can be no Kaizen." If you don't know where you started, you can't tell if you're changing for the better.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next up: the value of the VSM in decision-making.</span></div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-91166933528129109082015-07-22T07:33:00.001-07:002015-07-22T07:34:51.523-07:00Value Stream Map - Part 4: Material Flow<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLAq-shKXLgIHLlFKgnQKB2ILWwAH7qbkX7rbCVg9gtDbxA0g03WzK2oQRmbHifXNJPrDnQCUdwBGoSy5yQHr5Nqro04eDmmJg7BZ4OXPPpoqqBcVmhKFbdBnGVfrid2Zjb6d6L3JaY5h/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-07-07+at+1.40.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLAq-shKXLgIHLlFKgnQKB2ILWwAH7qbkX7rbCVg9gtDbxA0g03WzK2oQRmbHifXNJPrDnQCUdwBGoSy5yQHr5Nqro04eDmmJg7BZ4OXPPpoqqBcVmhKFbdBnGVfrid2Zjb6d6L3JaY5h/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-07-07+at+1.40.09+PM.png" width="170" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">Remember, a Value Stream Map should be communicating to you and</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">to your organization.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">So far we’ve examined how the flow chart and data boxes communicate.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">Now we’re going to examine how the supply and delivery icons communicate.</span><br />
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On the top left are the supply icons. They tell us who the<i> major</i> suppliers are. In the case of Acme Fire Suppression, Inc., the two major suppliers supply the steel blanks for use in the Upset operation and the chemicals used in the Auto Fill operation.</div>
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We know from my earlier description of the process that there are other supplies used in the process, e.g. the paint, the inert gas, the spray nozzles, cardboard overpack and boxes. None of those made it onto this VSM. The reason is mostly because they’re commodities, and easily available. We just want to look at the high $ items, or the items that could potentially shut us down if they weren’t delivered in a timely fashion.</div>
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So, looking at the steel blanks, what do we see? Well, at the top we see that we’re getting two different types of blanks: the 5 pound and the 10 pound. We can see they come from the same supplier (normally the name of the supplier would be in the factory symbol). Finally, we can see that we get shipments of 14,000, 5# blanks and 8,500, 10# blanks.</div>
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Next we see that the steel blank supplier delivers twice a week. And, we see that we keep a 20 day inventory of their blanks at all times. One should logically ask why we’d inventory 20 days worth of these blanks when they have the potential to deliver twice weekly. Good question.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yxbcHthDQwagNlyHTiiJoxSrmWk0s_VdOoc-eja2msCCgmn6ltwIxVoI8PLr-k7eINGiU1mQ6DDM4HcAOZnjqBuKX-Hv3JD3Ca8yvLMqLp5JNMeKiJHqEcsyN0k_hWTD7VrCvNsM6FO3/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-07-07+at+1.40.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yxbcHthDQwagNlyHTiiJoxSrmWk0s_VdOoc-eja2msCCgmn6ltwIxVoI8PLr-k7eINGiU1mQ6DDM4HcAOZnjqBuKX-Hv3JD3Ca8yvLMqLp5JNMeKiJHqEcsyN0k_hWTD7VrCvNsM6FO3/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-07-07+at+1.40.23+PM.png" width="110" /></a>Next let’s look at the chemical supplier. They are shipping 35 super sacks of the chemicals a month (each super sack weighs 1,000 pounds). The same chemical is used in both the 5# & 10# extinguishers. Meanwhile, Acme keeps a 25 day inventory of the chemical. </div>
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Now let’s look at the delivery side of the VSM. From this diagram we see that Acme ships out of their warehouse once a month. Each shipment contains 40,000 5# extinguishers and 24,000 10 # extinguishers.</div>
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Again, this is all just data at this point, but it’s also something we call <i>Actionable Information.</i> By that we mean that we have enough information to actually make decisions and formulate action plans.</div>
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Case in point: why would Acme only ship once a month and keep a 30-day inventory of fire extinguishers? Doesn’t that violate at least one of the 7 wastes? Armed with that information, what <i>actions</i> might that lead Acme to make?Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-17844769223083719072015-07-17T11:06:00.004-07:002015-07-22T07:10:29.086-07:00Value Stream Map - Part 3: Information Flow<br />
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Perhaps one of the least well understood or appreciated parts of the Value Stream Map is the information flow at the top. That said, it’s an important part of the entire <i>flow</i> of a value stream. There is much to be learned from it. Let’s examine.</div>
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<b>COMPANY (Production Control) BLOCK: </b>Let’s start at the Company block, top center. Here we note the <b>Name of the company</b> being studied. If there are multiple value streams in this company, you may also list the value stream's name. In our case, the company's name is Acme Fire Suppression, Inc. Also here we’ll indicate who is at the <b>Hub of the Information</b> flow: Acme’s Production Control office. It's rare that production control does not control the flow of production-related information.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBixlbiQA1QN89nkhyaRVY4KBcJ7DNvcLl8z89I4hqBly9S1fy_TtPN986_BcqQWfQ6tugzVCcBD9_HYdjg573evjZZzgUW5w1xSq5_m3zaNYGlsU_5dpvZc1ODp-hGDBxXqmnj9WwZiz4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-07-07+at+1.05.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBixlbiQA1QN89nkhyaRVY4KBcJ7DNvcLl8z89I4hqBly9S1fy_TtPN986_BcqQWfQ6tugzVCcBD9_HYdjg573evjZZzgUW5w1xSq5_m3zaNYGlsU_5dpvZc1ODp-hGDBxXqmnj9WwZiz4/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-07-07+at+1.05.49+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally we note whether our processes are all <b>manually scheduled or computer scheduled</b>, and what <b>type of scheduling tool</b> is bing used. In our case, processes are being controlled by a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software program. That bit of information alone tells us volumes.</div>
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<b>COMMUNICATION FROM CUSTOMER</b>: Recalling that, by convention, the <b>Customer</b> is always on the top right of the VSM, we see that Acme’s customer is providing them with three separate forecasts. First, there is six month forecast of their needs. </div>
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This forecast is “squishy,” in that it only gives us a <i>guess</i> of what our customer really intends to buy. Sales can use this forecast and we can develop an <i>estimated</i> Takt Time from it, but we really shouldn’t spend money or commit resources based on this forecast. The reason for that recommendation will become evident when you see the monthly order.</div>
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The semi-annual order is a little more firm, but still nothing you can sink make long-term plans around. Even the monthly order represents a target value. Implied in this order is the hope that this order quantity will stay the same from month to month; however, the contract with the customer has provisions in it that allows them to alter this standing order, up or down, by as much as 50% in any month. </div>
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If you think about it, that’s a lot of potential fluctuation. Only when the final, amended, order arrives can we really schedule the month’s production. The amended order alone gives us "actionable" information.</div>
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<b>COMMUNICATION TO SUPPLIERS: </b> Now let’s look at what Acme communicates to its <b>Suppliers</b>. Again, by convention, supplier information is found on the top left side of the VSM.</div>
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Like their own customer, Acme gives their suppliers as much of a view of the future as they can; so, they send suppliers a six month forecast. As I said earlier, this is just a <i>guess</i> for planning purposes, but nothing the supplier can hang their hat on.</div>
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Next, Acme sends suppliers a two week forecast. This is getting firmer, meaning that Acme knows they’ll be close to actually buying these quantities. Then comes the weekly shop order that gives suppliers specific quantities to produce and ship. Finally comes the daily priority list that gives Acme the ability to tell suppliers the order in which they want materials made <i>that</i> day. </div>
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One might well ask why the daily list when there are only two shipments a week, but this is Acme’s way of projecting consumption by their own factory.</div>
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Seem confusing? At least it’s all documented! From a well-documented process you can make corrections that will improve it.</div>
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This VSM is likely the only place in a company where all this information exists in a single place. Think about the implications of that. If no one has been looking at all this, on what have decisions been based?</div>
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In the absence of such cross-functional communication many organizations fall into <i>silo behavior,</i> where everyone does their own thing, ignoring its implications on the rest of the organization. By contrast, imagine if all departments worked from a single sheet of music that was updated on a timely basis.</div>
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<b>INTERNAL COMMUNICATION:</b> We have one more flow to follow, and that’s the flow <i>within</i> Acme. This one is easy. The VSM shows us that once a week, the MRP systems sends ("pushes") <b>shop orders</b> to each operation in the value stream. Each shop order is an order to “build,” instructing that operation in what they are to make, in what quantity, in what order and when it’s needed. </div>
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One thing common to all communication in this Current State map: it all is <i>pushed</i>. There is no feedback loop or any sense of give and take to the flow of information. Especially in the factory.</div>
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Keep in mind: When every operation is being scheduled, even though some operate at very different cycle times, MRP-generated schedules almost always lead to products being “Pushed” and a lot of WIP (read: excess inventory).</div>
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I’ll end the discussion of the information flow here, but can you start to see how densely the VSM is packed with information? As I said earlier, this is information rarely found in a single place anywhere else in an organization. Once you’ve made the effort to document it, you’ll want to keep the VSM accurate by updating any changes.</div>
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Next, we’ll examine the flow of raw material and finished goods.</div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-11615945857802124032015-07-13T10:51:00.003-07:002015-07-13T10:51:45.906-07:00Value Stream Map - Part 2: The Data Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the picture at the top of the page, you can see both flow chart (discussed in my last post) and the data boxes below them. I’ve included the flow chart in that picture, because the data boxes are linked to specific operations and paint a compelling story of <i>that </i>operation.</div>
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So, what is this story the data box tells? </div>
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First what goes in a data box needs to be tailored to the value stream being mapped. I’ve used five standard metrics, but they might not work for your business; or, your business may need to add another measure specific to your industry or process. </div>
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<b>CT </b>- Cycle time is a critical measure of any operation. It tells us how long it takes to complete one iteration of that process step. It’s important, because, when compared to Takt Time (TT) we learn immediately whether we can meet customer demand. Remember, CT must be less than or equal to TT if we’re to meet our delivery commitments on time.</div>
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<b>C/O</b> - Change Over time is the time between making the last good piece of a previous product and the first good piece of the new one. While sometimes referred to as SMED (single minute exchange of die), many industries don’t employ dies. Also, it’s not just about changing a die, but about taking whatever measures are necessary to make the first good part of the new product.</div>
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<b>AT</b> - Available Time is the time operators have to actually work each day. It’s the time between when they arrive and when they leave, less any time spent on breaks, lunch, meetings, clean up, etc. As you know, available time is a key component of calculating Takt Time.</div>
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<b>Defects</b> - This is pretty self-explanatory. We’re trying to get an idea of how reliable the process at this operational step is.</div>
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<b>Uptime</b> - This is the measure of how reliable machines used in that process are. Calculated by subtracting machine down time from 100%, Uptime gives us an idea of where we have problems with equipment. There is a much more comprehensive measure called OEE, and I'll deal with it in a later post.</div>
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<u>CONSIDERATION:</u> When you have multiple machines or multiple operators covered by a single data box, you need to make the decision how you’re going to calculate data values. Some average the values. I believe that creates misconceptions about the process. I elect to post the worst data. You’ll understand why when I later discuss how to use your VSM to determine where to deploy your lean assets.</div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-8060713935845216452015-07-06T14:58:00.001-07:002015-08-09T19:12:09.456-07:00Value Stream Map - Part 1: The High Level Flow Chart<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
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There are some wonderful books on this subject. I have no desire to compete with them, but I would like to <i>break open</i> this extremely important and underutilized tool. In essence, let's look under the hood and see what this thing's all about.</div>
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Here are my goals:</div>
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1. <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Explain each segment of the Value Stream Map (VSM)</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></div>
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A. High Level Flow Chart</div>
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B. Data Boxes</div>
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C. Communication Flow</div>
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D. Material Flow</div>
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E. Value Add vs. Non-Value Add</div>
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F. Importance to decision making</div>
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2. Explain the way to use this tool as an ongoing guide in allocating your Lean resources</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Let’s start with the </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">High Level Flow</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> chart.</span><br />
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What you see above is a high level flow chart. It’s high level because it only depicts the major operations that take place in the making of a household fire extinguisher. </div>
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The flow starts on the left with “Upset” and flows to the right. We know this by following the directional arrows between steps. It's also the <i>convention</i> of Value Stream Map (VSM) construction</div>
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These directional arrows tell us one more thing. Because they are straight and dashed, we know by VSM convention that material is being “Pushed” to, not “Pulled” by, the next operation.</div>
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At the “Upset” station, a steel billet, the size of a shuffleboard disk, is mashed into a shape resembling a bowl. </div>
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Note: the “Upset” box contains a “3” at the bottom. That “3” represents the number of workers required to perform the operation. This convention is repeated throughout the flowchart.</div>
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Hundreds of the billets arrive in huge steel bins and are stored in front of the upset machine. This theme of large amounts of inventory in front of operations is repeated between almost all of the operations. That trend will be discussed more below.</div>
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Once upset, the bowls are placed in other bins until full. They’re then <i>pushed</i> to the “Form” operation where they are pressed into deep cylinders. </div>
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Bins of the resultant cylinders are pushed to the “Weld” operation.</div>
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At the “Weld” operation, two halves of the cylinder are welded together, creating a single canister. </div>
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Bins of canisters are pushed to “Pressure Test” where the canister is submerged in water, filled with air and tested to see if it holds pressure. </div>
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Canisters that pass are inverted in racks to drip dry, then are pushed to “Drying.”</div>
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In “Drying,” the racks of canisters are placed in large ovens to bake off any residual moisture, before painting.</div>
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After being pushed to paint, canisters are hung on a conveyor and electrostatic paint is applied. The conveyor then carries the canisters through a drying oven.</div>
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Dried canisters are removed, placed in racks, and pushed to “Auto-Fill.”</div>
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At auto-fill, canisters are removed and manually put into a machine that fills them. The machine weighs the canister as it fills. As soon as the proper weight is reached, the fill process stops.</div>
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Filled canisters are removed and placed on a conveyor.</div>
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The ”Conveyor Operation” consists of three contiguous operations: spray nozzle insertion, inner gas pressurization and test. </div>
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Canisters that pass test are placed in a packing sleeve for shelf display. Packing sleeves are inserted into shipping boxes. Full boxes are sent to the “Warehouse.”</div>
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Pretty simple. Nine steps. </div>
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One last thing. The symbols between each of the process steps give us additional important information. Those triangles with an ‘I’ in them stand for “inventory.” Below the triangle are the units of time it will take to consume that inventory by the downstream (receiving) operation. Those units should be consistent throughout the VSM.</div>
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In my next post I’ll address the “Data Boxes.”</div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-40108528322214499592015-07-02T09:40:00.000-07:002015-07-02T09:40:17.894-07:00Pacer Cord - Working at Takt Time<br />
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Q. How do you keep the pace of an assembly operation constant? </div>
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A. Big businesses use conveyors, or some other piece of big mechanical equipment, that conveys Work In Process (WIP) at a constant pace. If you’re not in a big business, you may think that you can’t afford such a luxury. Hope is <i>not</i> lost.</div>
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I ran across a very inexpensive way to control assembly line speed. It’s called the <b>PACER CORD. </b>See top photo.</div>
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Here’s the way it works. The pacer cord is drawn by a winch. The outside diameter (OD) of the capstan (motor-driven spindle or drum) is sized so that it pulls the cord at a specific speed. What speed? Takt Time! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwv2DugPKKLhQarrjCR8bms61ZO-55HMIBatmxjHbPAakYN-2zShGh0MH9xh9yCcXhG9gFYC34G8SUjcJZf5ycW2aM9u8lH0Xyq2gy_gzkPqvo41R10f6s1TWEv7wtmFOG7a1quOQyRblt/s1600/Pacer+Cord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwv2DugPKKLhQarrjCR8bms61ZO-55HMIBatmxjHbPAakYN-2zShGh0MH9xh9yCcXhG9gFYC34G8SUjcJZf5ycW2aM9u8lH0Xyq2gy_gzkPqvo41R10f6s1TWEv7wtmFOG7a1quOQyRblt/s320/Pacer+Cord.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo #1</td></tr>
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In the 2nd photo there are a series of horizontal blue lines and a single red line. These lines correspond to the operational steps in the two Standard Work Combination Sheets (SCWSs). Note the SWCSs visible in the first photo.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo #2</td></tr>
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The red line indicates a break point: a changeover, from one operator’s SWCS to the next. That red line means that operator #1 must be finished by that point, and that operator #2 must begin.</div>
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The blue lines in the 2nd photo correspond with the time of each operational step in the SWCSs. These lines allow the operators to glance at the floor while working. They are looking to see if they are ahead or behind pace. If they fall behind, they know they need to catch up. </div>
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A missed handoff at the red line will mean that the Cycle Time (CT) will be greater than Takt Time (TT). That’s a very bad thing. Do you remember why? I discussed it in my post on Takt Time. If you’re not sure, it’s a good time to refresh.</div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-26577258611562135452015-06-25T07:10:00.001-07:002015-06-28T17:10:04.991-07:00Standard Work Combination Sheet<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17px;">
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My last post concluded a discussion of Takt Time. So, if you’re working to Takt Time, how do you know when each operation in your process is supposed to start and stop? How do you know if your operation is less than or equal to Takt Time? And, how do you communicate that to those in the process?</div>
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The answer to all those questions is to use a <i>Standard Work Combination Sheet (SWCS).</i> I know. That’s a mouthful, but it’s an extremely powerful tool that every Lean practitioner ought to have in their arsenal.</div>
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So what does it look like? Find one below*. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG48GI09kNcY95watxv_qPsAHB8vsi9iX_NfIQrK11qU4ykd7WTTMeFMSXCHMWRjaf7L1di5u9TAsZO9BtW-3Pj2upCw2xEfKPyatvSw_GvUgrCRGAwCe5DOur5pIf_07c2eSz5ju8p9S/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-24+at+1.03.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG48GI09kNcY95watxv_qPsAHB8vsi9iX_NfIQrK11qU4ykd7WTTMeFMSXCHMWRjaf7L1di5u9TAsZO9BtW-3Pj2upCw2xEfKPyatvSw_GvUgrCRGAwCe5DOur5pIf_07c2eSz5ju8p9S/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-06-24+at+1.03.49+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>AUTHOR'S NOTE: I apologize that the image bleeds over into the "about the author" section of the page, but wanted to use as large a size as possible, as the clarity reduces to fit the post requirements. </i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This sheet is jam packed with </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">actionable information.</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Let’s examine.</span></div>
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We can see that there are 8 operations to this process; can tell what each is called and how much of the time for that operation is spent doing manual (man) work, machine (auto) work and walking. </div>
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The bottom right gives us a key for the symbols used. There is no delay indicated in this SWCS, but we can tell how long each component of this operation takes; e.g. 32 seconds manual time and 14 seconds walking in operation #1. Finally we can see the total of manual and walk time spent performing this process. </div>
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From it, you can see the walking that takes place between operations 1 & 2, 7 & 8 and 8 back to 1. You can also tell in operation #6 that the machine continues to operate (horizontal dashed line) on its own and that the operator doesn’t stand watching. Rather, the operator moves to the next operation, #7 while the machine works away. </div>
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The vertical dashed red line is labelled TT, indicating that it’s the Takt Time for this process. </div>
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Now some questions for you:</div>
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*NOTE: I made this form in Excel. Takes some patience, but then you can type in it. Of course, you can always whiteout an old one and make copies.</div>
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A1. Process takes 423 sec to complete. Takt Time is 425 sec; hence, the process can be completed in Takt time.</div>
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A2. The gaging process takes the longest and represents the greatest opportunity for improving the process time. Virtually every second of improvement would have an equal effect on improving the overall process time. Remember, the operator is actually working on the part from the previous machine cycle. Things you might consider doing are to automate the entire gaging process; or, use more automated tools. For example, you might use a <i>vision system</i> for gaging rather than a manual profilometer if the ROI is good. </div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-75817212810528624292015-06-24T17:09:00.000-07:002015-06-28T17:11:16.510-07:00Shadow Boxes<br />
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Lean practitioners are familiar with the concept of shadow boards. We frequently use them to organize tools so that it’s immediately evident if one is missing. If one is, a visual “sweep” of the board prompts the owner to stop and search until the tool is found and returned to its place.</div>
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Like shadow boards, <b>shadow boxes</b> are used for visual organization. </div>
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One form of a shadow box we’re all familiar with is the egg cartons. From grade school we’re taught how many eggs to expect in one: an even dozen. If an egg is missing, it is visually apparent. </div>
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In Lean, the same concept holds true. We use shadow boxes to organize parts. They become a visual quality tool. Here are a few ways we can use them.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">TOO FEW PARTS</span>: Before commencing work on the next product, a worker makes a quick visual sweep of the shadow box. This “sweep” allows them to ascertain immediately if all the parts are present and int he correct quantity. If they are not, the worker signals for assistance; e.g. pulls the Andon cord. This prompts a material handler or water spider (discussed in an earlier post) into immediate action.</div>
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The mere existence of shadow boxes implies Just In Time (JIT) delivery of the exact parts required to build one product. If there are too few, the product cannot be completed, so early identification can allow the parts to be delivered and installed within Takt Time.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">TOO MANY PARTS:</span> While having too many parts doesn’t always stop the line, it is an equally unfavorable circumstance. The mere use of shadow boxes implies that the correct part count is critical. That means that the shadow box is used as a quality check: too few, or too many, both imply a defect in the supply process. </div>
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The presence of too many parts can lead to installing too many parts in the product and cause a product defect. That is serious problem. </div>
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Shadow boxes can also help in the early detection of wrong parts. If the process (standard work) calls for four bolts all 3/4” in length, and one is clearly longer, that’s a potential defect. In effect, the operator only has three bolts and needs to take the same action as if there were too few parts.</div>
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As with shadow boards, each part has its own spot in the shadow box. For instance, the nuts that went with the four bolts addressed above would be in their own slot. Likewise, washers, cotter keys, rivets, etc would each have their own slots. Once the shadow box is set up, those slots stay the same.</div>
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A well laid out shadow box allows the operator to grab the right parts without taking their eyes off the product. For example, if the operator knows that the 1/4” lock washers are in the fourth slot from the left, they run their fingers along the top of the slots and count 1 - 2 - 3 - 4. When they hit “four,” they grab the washer in that slot.</div>
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Not every circumstance calls for shadow boxes, but it is one of the arrows in the quiver of a good Lean practitioner. Don’t hesitate to apply the concept when conditions call for it.</div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-18467616951734419382015-06-24T06:35:00.000-07:002015-06-28T17:54:09.488-07:00Takt Time<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">“What?”</span></div>
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That’s usually the first question the uninitiated ask. “Are you saying <i>tack </i>time<i>?” </i>is the next. Those of you using Lean know the answer, but let me just refresh. </div>
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Takt is a German word meaning pace or tempo, as in the pace of a piece of music. In an orchestra, pace is usually governed by the speed of the conductor’s baton.<br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">In Manufacturing, <i>Takt Time </i></span><i>is the pace at which your process needs to operate in order to meet customer demand.</i> It is calculated by dividing <i>Available Time</i> by the <i>Customer Demand.</i></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><i>Available Time</i></span> is the worker’s scheduled time, say 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM (8.5 hours), less any breaks, lunch, meetings, cleanup time, etc. So, in the following example, <i>Available Time</i> is ___________?</div>
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Scheduled time: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>8.5 hours = 510 minutes</div>
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Breaks<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 x 15 = - 30 minutes</div>
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Meetings<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- 0 minutes</div>
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Lunch<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- 30 minutes</div>
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Cleanup<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> <u> </u></span><u>- <span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">12 minutes</span></u></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> - 72 minutes</div>
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<b>Available time</b> = 510 - 72 = <b>438 minutes</b></div>
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<b>Demand</b> = 40 pieces per day </div>
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“Cool. So what?”</div>
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Takt Time (TT) tells us how long we have to build one part. If we exceed Takt time <i>even once</i> during the building of today’s 40 pieces (but stay on pace for the rest), we will not get all 40 built. We’d have to work some overtime. A goal of Lean is to work NO OVERTIME; so, we always need to work within Takt Time.</div>
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“No Problem,” you say. “I’ll give my workers 40 minutes to get it done and we’ll never exceed Takt Time.”</div>
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That’s no good either. You’ll either rush workers and get poor quality; or, you will need to assign more workers. Neither is acceptable.</div>
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Note — and this is huge — we don’t care how long it currently takes your workers to build one of these parts. That time, by the way, is called <i>Cycle Time (CT)</i>: the time to build one good part.</div>
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Ultimately, our objective is to make CT less than or equal to TT. In order to achieve that, we typically use a Standard Work Kaizen event, but that’s for another post. </div>
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Summarizing, you’ve learned about Available Time, Takt Time and how to calculate both.</div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-3301902131991136922015-06-21T15:30:00.000-07:002015-06-21T15:30:01.696-07:00What’s a Water Spider?<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">
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Most of us are familiar with material handlers. They drive lift trucks, push carts or carry plastic tubs of materials to their point of use. In Lean, however, we try to eliminate this non-value adding job by placing materials close enough to the operator that the operator can easily retrieve them. </div>
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There are times, however, when material replenishment requires someone other than the operator. For these tasks, we turn to a <b>water spider.</b></div>
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<u>FUNCTION</u>: The function of the water spider is to replenish the materials used at each station so that the production personnel can focus on the process of adding value. <span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">Once every Takt Time*</span> the water spider walks the entire length of the assembly line and places the exact materials required to make <span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">one</span> product at each station. The water spider then returns to replenish and starts all over. Water spiders are typically only used when Takt Time is three minutes or greater.</div>
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So, when might you use a water spider? Usually three things govern their use. They are: exact part, exact place, exact count. </div>
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<u>EXACT PART</u>: When the product varies and different parts are required each time it is assembled, the water spider is used to place the exact parts required for the <span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">next</span> assembly at each station. The change in part(s) often signals the assembler what product they are to build next.</div>
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<u>EXACT PLACE</u>: Placement of parts can be critical. When an operator <i>knows</i> that a part is always in the same place, they don’t have to take their eyes off their work to grasp the next part. This allows them to devote their full attention to their work.</div>
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<u>EXACT COUNT</u>: Count can be used as a quality check. When the operator <i>knows</i> that the water spider has placed the exact number of parts in the exact place, it allows them to perform an ongoing quality check. If they run out of parts early, it means they’ve assembled a part in the wrong place. If there are parts left over, the assembler stops the line, because the product is not fully assembled.</div>
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<u>WHO</u>: One might think that a water spider is an entry level job, but it is not. The water spider is usually the most experienced assembler on the line. They understand the product being built, how to perform every step in the production process, how it is tested and what quality checks are performed on it. Should anyone need to step away from the line, the water spider can backfill any position. </div>
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* When part count is not critical and parts don’t vary from product to product, the water spider might place enough parts at each station to make multiple products. When this occurs, the water spider walks the entire line in multiples of Takt Time; e.g. if Takt Time is 300 seconds, the water spider might walk the line every 1,800 seconds (30 minutes) and place six new parts at each station. The water spider may also be used to move finished goods at the end of the line before returning to replenish.</div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-67480754658205443642015-06-15T13:37:00.002-07:002015-06-19T10:18:45.884-07:00Hansei<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, testifying before the US House of Representatives</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">A lot of Lean practitioners dislike
the use of Japanese words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, some concepts don’t easily transcend culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hansei</i>
is one of those.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Hansei</b>, commonly translated “time
out” (as in giving a disobedient child “time out”), is a much
deeper concept in the Japanese culture. It means to reflect on and acknowledge one’s
mistake (or one's success), seek it's root cause and resolve to improve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As with time out, Hansei almost
always requires withdrawal from others so as to go inside oneself, to </span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">discover</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"> not only what went wrong, but why (root cause).</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">Equally important, Hansei for a mistake requires contrition and resolve.</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"> </span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">After getting to the root
cause of the problem, one expresses sorrow and resolves to change for the better (Kaizen).</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"> </span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">The key here is preventive measures to
avoid this problem in the future. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">With a success, one seeks to know the root cause so as to repeat, and improve on, it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Similarly, <b>Hansei-Kai</b> is Hansei
done by a group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It bears all the
same traits of personal Hansei, but is conducted as part of a larger group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> How does Hansei apply to business? Let's put this concept in context.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">BACKGROUND:</span></u><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On August 28<sup>th</sup>, 2009 Toyota became the center of news, when a Lexus ES350, driven by an off
duty California Highway Patrolman, accelerated out of control and killed all
four occupants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What made this crash front page news was that the events leading
up to the crash were captured in a 9-1-1 call from the driver’s wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coverage of what was later called
“Sudden Unintended Acceleration,” or SUA, grew world-wide, badly tarnishing
Toyota’s reputation as one of the world’s safest and most dependable
auto makers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Waive for a second the fact that
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had been
investigating similar problems with Toyota vehicles since 2002 and, in each case, exonerated the auto manufacturer (http://www.safetyresearch.net/toyota-sudden-acceleration-timeline).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within Toyota, the problem was taken
much more seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Although never recorded, what
appears to have occurred within Toyota was Hansei-Kai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What leads me to
say that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & CONTRITION:</span></u><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On February 24th,
2010, Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, stood before the U.S. House of
Representatives and “profusely apologized and took personal responsibility”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6742767968832770192#_ftn1" name="_ftnref" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--></span></sup></a>
for the sudden acceleration problem that led to the recall of millions of
Toyota’s vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Mr. Toyoda went on
to state, “I extend my condolences from the deepest part of my heart.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6742767968832770192#_ftn2" name="_ftnref" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--></span></sup></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS</span></u><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">: In a prepared
statement to the U.S. Congress, Mr. Toyoda cited as the root cause of the SUA problem
not poor design, nor poor craftsmanship, nor poor maintenance, nor operator
error. Instead, he said, “I would
like to discuss what caused the recall issues we are facing now. Toyota has,
for the past few years, been expanding its business rapidly. Quite frankly, I
fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick.”<a href="http:/#_ftn3" name="_ftnref" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[3]<!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">RESOLVE:</span></u><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, Toyota
recalled almost 10 million cars and began an internal campaign to rededicate itself
to safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although not publicly
stated, it is presumed that care in future growth was one of the many Kaizens
within the leadership team of Toyota.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This kind of response doesn’t
come from speechwriters or “spinners,” but from deep introspection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, while never acknowledging
that they had done so, it is evident from their actions that Hansei-Kai led to
Toyota's deeply insightful acknowledgement, contrition, root cause analysis and
resolve.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6742767968832770192#_ftnref" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[1]</span></a> <i><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 26.0pt;">An Apology From Toyota’s Leader,</span></i><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 11pt;"> The New York Times by
Micheline Maynard</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6742767968832770192#_ftnref" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ibid<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: blue;">[3]</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> h<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 11pt;">ttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/feb/24/akio-toyoda-statement-to-congress</span></span></div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-51126134738538901242015-06-15T08:30:00.000-07:002015-06-15T08:30:02.077-07:00Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYynAMIPlvY-AZ_hivZCqg9Gkh-drpS-XXTI2QImQOaP6I0VEYHlv19VGVcdYHLmBfjgFrhKnBfYqCPLmJXSOoSa9777kn6fUaRPKadzvih5qKCvKlqY4DyKjBdGEOgxCM1ihyphenhyphenHbtJY9D/s1600/Tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYynAMIPlvY-AZ_hivZCqg9Gkh-drpS-XXTI2QImQOaP6I0VEYHlv19VGVcdYHLmBfjgFrhKnBfYqCPLmJXSOoSa9777kn6fUaRPKadzvih5qKCvKlqY4DyKjBdGEOgxCM1ihyphenhyphenHbtJY9D/s1600/Tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYynAMIPlvY-AZ_hivZCqg9Gkh-drpS-XXTI2QImQOaP6I0VEYHlv19VGVcdYHLmBfjgFrhKnBfYqCPLmJXSOoSa9777kn6fUaRPKadzvih5qKCvKlqY4DyKjBdGEOgxCM1ihyphenhyphenHbtJY9D/s200/Tools.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Lean concepts like Standard Work and Just In Time are predicated on dependability: dependability of materials, dependability of workers, and dependability of equipment. It’s this latter subject that I want to address in this post.</div>
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A <i><b>standard</b> maintenance</i> program uses maintenance personnel to perform routine functions like oiling and lubricating equipment. When a machine fails, the maintenance department repairs it; yet, rarely brings it back to it’s original specs.</div>
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In a <i><b>preventive</b> maintenance</i> program, machines are maintained prior to failure. These programs are often like the 15,000 mile checkup on a car. The mechanic performs all the routine functions specified by the checkup and then runs a diagnostic to give the owner advance warning about potential problems.</div>
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How does <i><b>productive</b> maintenance</i> differ from these? First, the goal of a productive maintenance program goes beyond merely keeping machines running. In a TPM Kaizen event, machines are cleaned, restored to their original specifications and then minor changes made to improve both the functionality and longevity of the machine. </div>
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In addition, the Kaizen event establishes areas that need to be attended to at least once a day. These points are marked on the machine and on an operator’s <i>dashboard</i> (usually a laminated card with photos of the machine and the numbered locations of all inspection points matching those on the machine). It then becomes the operator’s (not the maintenance department’s) responsibility to check these points, and perform any minor maintenance indicated, at least once a shift.<br />
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This means the operator oils and lubricates, looks for leaks, reads all gage values and calls maintenance immediately when anything is not what it should be. The operator also keeps the machine wiped down and dusted as a way of ensuring that it's constantly being inspected for leaks, broken hoses, broken gages, broken sight glasses, etc. In short, the operator is the first line of defense in maintenance of the machine.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuQUoD2tv6L0hqbf8JYUgYD3WZ1rmHmVG7J7OBWxA95JJ0fjB_6VU6hLFqJiT1Aj94yT-LUrIMxcEGY0eC7mLeEPEZ1rz3HV2hhj9lOYPZHVuEobWpk5EtGI-tCSIyfjJNPd5GUhq_i5d/s1600/I+love+my+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuQUoD2tv6L0hqbf8JYUgYD3WZ1rmHmVG7J7OBWxA95JJ0fjB_6VU6hLFqJiT1Aj94yT-LUrIMxcEGY0eC7mLeEPEZ1rz3HV2hhj9lOYPZHVuEobWpk5EtGI-tCSIyfjJNPd5GUhq_i5d/s320/I+love+my+machine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
A quick story: A colleague of mine was touring a plant in Asia and found a bumper sticker on the side of a machine that had a red heart in it. Since it was in Koren, he asked his guide what the sticker meant. He was told that it translated “I love my machine.”<br />
<br />
Seeing the quizzical look on my colleague’s face, the guide went on. “This man’s livelihood is derived from that machine. Not only his, but also his family’s and extended family’s; sometimes even others in his community."</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
When workers are able to make that connection between their equipment and their livelihood, it changes their perspective about preventive maintenance. This relationship frequently leads Lean organizations to assign responsibility for each piece of equipment to a single operator.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Often as part of the TPM Kaizen event, the “capability” of a machine is determined. The machine’s capability is a measure of it’s ability to reach and hold tolerances. These capabilities are then used in the designing of new products and in choosing to which machine to assign new designs.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Now, the maintenance department is not off the hook. First, it works with operations to monitor <i>drift</i> of the machine’s capability. When the machine cannot hold tolerances, it is shut down or at least slated for PM. Notice: the machine is still making good parts. It's shut down because it can't <i>hold</i> tolerances.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Beyond that, the maintenance department establishes a program to perform critical maintenance functions for which the machine needs to be shut down; e.g. replacing hoses or gears. These preventive maintenance events are placed on the operations and maintenance calendars. Every effort is made to maintain the machines on those dates, but some organizations allow operations to shift the date, one time, to the right or left on the calendar. TPM is taken so seriously that there is no additional shift allowed.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
In summation, TPM is a critical part of Lean. As I said at the beginning, an organization cannot really establish standard work, or meet Takt Time, until they have established a TPM program on their equipment.</div>
<br />Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-76906377342607775142015-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:002015-06-06T17:27:38.213-07:00Upgrading Standardized Equipment<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eAdsA03AQ85_fmssG8adsGrqf-rCa3e63mqMglRYFl_XeZpqK0kj529yZXJ5mFx0YGVs7m48N49AqLpAqZjvdTr6zM0O8H-n6nUkHGajqTL1EdcJWKupyoUGKLRK9t29gTWrRR6MauXN/s1600/CNC+Bridgeport+Vertical+Mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eAdsA03AQ85_fmssG8adsGrqf-rCa3e63mqMglRYFl_XeZpqK0kj529yZXJ5mFx0YGVs7m48N49AqLpAqZjvdTr6zM0O8H-n6nUkHGajqTL1EdcJWKupyoUGKLRK9t29gTWrRR6MauXN/s200/CNC+Bridgeport+Vertical+Mill.jpg" width="146" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgP9c3bvG3amPCZ5GtITwbdn0UC9BVmKXFccRSEYO5Rn4QcmCYPvCgVdaE6K1UJkdf7XpKRz5zuFTuxulzQFUXdrLIMkexdmuevWzqQ2AzftoE6A-uOMRUxTsuVzzS-2n9SlO5xxefuaj/s1600/Bridgeport+Vertical+Mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgP9c3bvG3amPCZ5GtITwbdn0UC9BVmKXFccRSEYO5Rn4QcmCYPvCgVdaE6K1UJkdf7XpKRz5zuFTuxulzQFUXdrLIMkexdmuevWzqQ2AzftoE6A-uOMRUxTsuVzzS-2n9SlO5xxefuaj/s200/Bridgeport+Vertical+Mill.jpg" width="200" /></a>I’m an engineer by training and for years specified new
equipment for my employers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
my colleagues and I went looking for new equipment, what did we go looking
for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The newest, the latest, the
most bells and whistles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I discussed in my post on Standardization of Equipment,
buying the latest and greatest often militates against sound business
practices, but what happens if the newest equipment provides a technological
advantage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The answer is simple: design your own equipment
modifications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who better than
you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows your product
better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows your equipment
better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moreover, if you modify your own equipment, you keep your
modifications internal and avoid giving your competition insights into how
you’re achieving your unique results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To do this, you either need to develop internal machine
design & modification talent, or enter into a contract with a firm who can
provide those capabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Toyota-speak, this concept is called “Moonshining.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It refers to the practice of using inexpensive, and often repurposed
equipment, in the manufacture of (alcoholic) products.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
High on the list of modification techniques is
simplicity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changes should be as
easy as possible to install, use and maintain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They must also be standard and interchangeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">In the photos (above),
I’ve provided an example of a machine shop workhorse: the Bridgeport vertical
milling machine.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">The design of the
base machine (illustrated by the photo on left) has changed little since it was introduced prior to
WWII.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the few disadvantages of this machine is that it is all
manual. That means that variation
from part to part could be significant. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As new CNC equipment was introduced, many machine shops
moved in the direction of new designs and manufacturers; however, the
manufacturer of the Bridgeport, and aftermarket suppliers, developed add-on
computer systems that turned the manual mill into a CNC mill (photo on right).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Applying the CNC upgrade gave users the best of both worlds:
tried & true equipment, matched with the latest in technological advancements.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The take away from this example is that there are many
advantages to upgrading existing equipment as versus buying new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To recap, they are:</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Continued ease of use</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Same spare parts</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Same maintenance training</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Same operator training</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Ability to seamlessly <i>flex</i> operators from one machine to another</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Improved capability</span></li>
</ul>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-19650580665885813502015-06-01T11:41:00.001-07:002015-06-01T11:41:47.530-07:00Standardization of Equipment<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of us are familiar with Standard Work and the need to
have only one <i>standard</i> way we build a
product or provide a service. We
know that having only one way to do things makes our processes more reliable. Standardizing equipment provides the
same benefits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been in plants where there were machines from 5 or more
different Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s), all performing the identical
function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also been in
factories in which they had standardized on a single OEM, but had multiple
different models of the same equipment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyXE1RQVq_dN9cmhZ066u-zGOjptuT1EMlH_kxHZCCIaOK91QOPkU6Scho3a5T2rF0RzFYeg7Wn_p99tippuN-pq6l5yVUiSU1ggNO8O3HEnouZv15S-2xbK4SwFoo5dOfsAuC5pTQkuF/s1600/5+Axis+CNC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyXE1RQVq_dN9cmhZ066u-zGOjptuT1EMlH_kxHZCCIaOK91QOPkU6Scho3a5T2rF0RzFYeg7Wn_p99tippuN-pq6l5yVUiSU1ggNO8O3HEnouZv15S-2xbK4SwFoo5dOfsAuC5pTQkuF/s1600/5+Axis+CNC.jpg" /></a>Although there are a plethora of reasons to standardize
equipment, I’d like to focus on only three: spare parts, maintenance and
operator “flexing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>SPARE PARTS</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consider this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most OEM’s
change key components of their machines whenever they change the overall
design. When you have multiple models of the same OEM’s equipment; or, the
equipment of multiple OEM’s, that means maintaining spares of each unique
critical part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Failing to do so could
mean prolonging downtime by days, weeks or even months.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>MAINTENANCE</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each time you add a different machine
design, it means training maintenance personnel in the maintenance of each new
variation, or purchasing an expensive repair contract.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>OPERATOR “FLEXING</u>”: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flexing</i> is the practice of moving operators from one process or machine
to another as demand changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When a process has multiple types of machines, it often limits the
number of operators trained to perform their job on all pieces of equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That, in turn, reduces the ability of
leaders to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flex,</i> thus limiting their
ability to react to changes in the product design, market or workplace<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been in factories that had been around since WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were seven or more different
models of machines from the same OEM performing the same job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you see how big the problem becomes when you try to stock
all those motors, gearboxes, control station components and ancillary spare parts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cost of all those parts ties up
valuable working capital. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then factor in the cost of the brick and mortar necessary to warehouse
them all. That space generates no income, nor can it be used for anything else.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, rule of thumb: find the most reliable equipment and, as
you expand, purchase more of it: same make, same model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where should you look?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The used equipment market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, there are firms that specialize
in refurbishing such equipment before it even arrives at your facility.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>RECALL</u>: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>you only need to store spare parts for one model</li>
<li>you can train maintenance personnel in maintaining only one model</li>
<li>you can train operators in operating only one model</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>Each of those will provide you competitive advantage in the world of ever hastening global competition.</o:p></div>
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Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6742767968832770192.post-72973131779953898582014-12-03T07:24:00.000-08:002014-12-03T21:14:18.967-08:00Control Your Message<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Control Your
Message<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve all seen it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Something happens within an organization: someone leaves under suspicious conditions, plans goes
awry, a schedule is missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> That's life, but what happens next makes all the difference.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Far too often, leaders don’t acknowledge
the bad news and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">get out in front of it.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, they hang back and see if it
will go away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It never does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, others usurp the right to broadcast the message and "spin" it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often refer to these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">others</i> collectively as The
Grapevine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A couple facts about the grapevine:<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It almost always gets the facts wrong.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Its message contains enough truth to seem
plausible.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It often twists the facts to fit its own
sinister message.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Its message is, with rare exception,
unflattering of legitimate leaders.</span> </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, ask yourself, why would the legitimate leaders allow
someone else to control their message?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had a boss once that used to say, “Unlike wine, bad news
never gets better with age.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you wait until<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> conditions are right</i>, you’ve made two
egregious errors.<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">First, you open the door to the conjecture and
speculation.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Second, you give up your right to control your
own message.</span></li>
</ul>
Lean has deep belief in “Respect for People.” One of the manifestations of that
belief is the act of transparency.
Transparency often translates to telling the truth.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good leaders get out ahead of the bad news and truthfully
state what happened and, often, why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is, they control their own message.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, good leaders do it immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t sleep on it, because once
the wrong message is out there, anything new raises the suspicion that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">someone is lying</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who do you think will win that battle?</div>
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No, the best leaders control their own
message and to do it promptly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Robert B Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930514188404575375noreply@blogger.com1