A mindset that helps improve efficiency, quality, and the bottom line

LEAN is a methodology that focuses on providing value to customers, eliminating waste, continuous improvement, and reducing cycle time.

Waste is any step or action in the process that does not provide any value to the customer and can be broken down into EIGHT TYPES OF WASTE in operation or manufacturing

TRANSPORTATION
INVENTORY – Inefficient allocation of resources
MOTION – Time and effort wasted due to unnecessary movement of people or equipment
WAITING – Ideally, you want cycle time to meet the takt time to eliminate waiting and its inefficiency – Waiting for instruction, approval, or equipment. Rework – Do it right the 1st time
Takt Time = available production time per day (in seconds) divided by customer qty demand
OVERPRODUCTION – Producing more products than required
OVERPROCESSING – More people, products, or steps needed in a product or service than required
DEFECTS – Products or services that fail to meet customer quality expectations
SKILLS – Undermining human potentials, under-utilizing human capabilities & delegating tasks to people with inadequate training

WAYS TO HANDLE these different kinds of WASTES
JIT – It defines to conveyance, (what is needed, when it is needed), eliminates MODAS of overprocessing, and enhances efficiency with continuous flow processes by producing one piece at a time or what is needed. Using a pull system along with the KANBAN CARD inventory system and takt time (timing) that is based on customer demand. Applying the Heijunka technique to reduce the unevenness of production volume and variety (MURA) which in turn reduces waste muda (waste). The paradigm shift to “The right material at the right time at the right place in the exact amount production approach.”

6S – Focuses on cleanliness and organization to help improve profits, safety, and efficiency (SORT, SET IN ORDER, SHINE, STANDARDIZE, AND SUSTAIN – SAFETY)

KANBAN – Visual method to manage tasks and workflows and enable workload to identify issues in the process and fix it

6 SIGMA is a relentless mindset to perfection to meet customer needs with data-driven, fact-based decision-making and a focus on allocating the best resources for the highest priority to improve the process/product. It is a rigorous alignment of action with strategy, with a focus on the bottom line and paradigm shift to how people work. There are two different six sigma approaches that apply to process and design: DMAIC & DMADV (DFSS)