Question

Describe the principles of Lean manufacturing.

Answer 1

The 5 principles of Lean manufacturing are Identifying value, value steam mapping, flow creation , Establishing Pull and Pursue perfection.

Identifying Value: The first lean principle is the first step in the journey to become lean. This step requires businesses to define what customers value and how their products or services meet those values. In this case, value requires:

• Designing products to meet the needs of customers
• Removing features that do not specifically meet those needs

By designing products to meet specific needs, businesses will eliminate wasteful steps that may have been required for unwanted features. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is one method that can help businesses identify value. Using DFSS, companies can systematically define, measure, and analyze what their customers want. Companies can then design products tailored for their customers.

value steam mapping: In this step, the goal is to use the customer’s value as a reference point and identify all the activities that contribute to these values. Activities that do not add value to the end customer are considered waste. The waste can be broken into two categories: non-valued added but necessary and non-value & unnecessary. The later is pure waste and should be eliminated while the former should be reduced as much as possible. By reducing and eliminating unnecessary processes or steps, you can ensure that customers are getting exactly what they want while at the same time reducing the cost of producing that product or service.

flow creation: The third lean principle is creating flow. Efficient product flow requires items to move from production to shipping without interruption and can be achieved by strategically organizing the work floor. Every factor, from people and equipment to materials and shipping, must be taken into account to ensure products seamlessly move through the production process. A well-organized work floor will result in reduced production time, low inventory builtup  and minimal material handling.

Establishing Pull: Inventory is often considered as one of the biggest wastes in any production system. The goal of a pull-based system is to limit inventory and work in process (WIP) items while ensuring that the requisite materials and information are available for a smooth flow of work. In other words, a pull-based system allows for Just-in-time delivery and manufacturing where products are created at the time that they are needed and in just the quantities needed. Pull-based systems are always created from the needs of the end customers. By following the value stream and working backwards through the production system, you can ensure that the products produced will be able to satisfy the needs of customers.

Pursue perfection:It is the most difficult principles to successfully apply in the workplace. Seeking perfection requires companies to continuously improve their practices and often requires a shift in the workplace culture.It makes Lean thinking and continuous process improvement a part of the organizational culture. Every employee should strive towards perfection while delivering products based on the customer needs. often Kaizen philosophy is implemented to bring up small improvements.