What is Lean Manufacturing?
Lean Manufacturing is a combination of the proven methods which have the goal of increasing the concentration of value added in each work process.
Lean Manufacturing Definition
Lean Manufacturing is a journey towards perfection by eliminating waste from work processes.
Lean Manufacturing meaning
In Lean Manufacturing “Lean” can be interpreted as “Slim” or “thin”. In context of Lean Manufacturing getting “Lean” means removal of “Waste” i.e., Non-Value Added and increasing the concentration of value added in each work process.
At the basis of these methods is the fundamental distinction between: Value and Non-Value
For value we mean all the actions carried out by man or by a machine and which are needed to group together the elements of a product or of a service for which a client wants to pay.
A product or service we are proposing in order to continue the sales process to the achievement of its goal.
If we observe any production process of a product or service; we can always observe 3 types of operations:
- Value operations
- Non-value added operations
- Non-value added operations but necessary
(but which are nonetheless necessary to the execution of the value added)
The non-value operations, both those which are not necessary and those which are necessary, constitute WASTE.
Adding Value from Lean?
What is Value added and what is not?
Value Added activities means activity or operations performed are required by the customer and essential for product.
Non-Value-Added but necessary activities are those activity or operations performed are not required by the customer but essential for product.
Non-Value-Added activities are those activity or operations performed are not required by the customer nor essential for product.
Starting from this perspective, the operational reality of a company will be looked at attempting to identify first of all the non-value operations and once identified, the goal will be to eliminate or reduce them; at the same time the attempt will be made to substitute them with more valuable activities.
When this type of process is applied, the result which follows is almost always astonishing in terms of performance improvement.
Lean Manufacturing focuses on improving value added activities and eliminating the non-value-added activities.
Lean Manufacturing Principles
What are the 5 Principles of Lean Manufacturing?
Five key Principles of Lean in an iterative design that are:
- Define Value
- Map the value stream
- Create Flow
- Establish Pull
- Pursue Perfection
With these methods your company has the possibility of improving the performance of both your productive and administrative processes.
Lean Manufacturing was created on the conceptual bases of work organization expressed and carried out by Taylor and Ford in the United States and developed to their fullest power by the Toyota Motor Company.
The introduction of the classification of the Waste in its 3 families was of particular relevance:
- Muda (waste made up of 7 types)
- Muri (waste due to “too much effort” sustained by a system)
- Mura (waste from too much variability in the processes)
Even though Lean Manufacturing was developed in the automotive field we must not make the mistake of thinking that it is valid only for this type of market.
Today Lean Manufacturing is applied to the majority of the the leading companies at a global level and operating in all product sectors.
Today an excellent organization of the productive processes cannot exclude Lean Manufacturing.
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Want to learn more about Lean Manufacturing?
Lean manufacturing has been adopted and practiced by many leading and developing organization across the globe with only one requirement “Everyone must be involved without exception”.
To know more about Key concepts of Lean Manufacturing and
- Discover the fundamental principles and concepts of Lean
- Understand how to implement a Lean program in your company
- Discover the principle instruments of Lean Manufacturing and Lean Services
- Dynamize one’s Gemba
- Implement the first Lean workshops
- Define the Lean training plan for personne
- Increase the profits of the Lean program
