You cannot gain mastery over Lean tools by simply reading about them. Therefore, it is difficult to pass on a ‘working knowledge’ of these tools in just a few articles.
The goal is to help you gain insight into understanding what Lean tools are and how they can be beneficial. If you can link the tools to your current pain area, organizational success is guaranteed. Additionally, you can hire an experienced instructor to help you out.
There are several Lean tools around. Hence, I have made a list of the most applicable ones based on my personal experience with them. Since Lean is about speed, I have included the ‘basic time-related definitions’ tool in the list as well. However, note that these tools are not presented in the order of their applicability.
It is difficult to say which Lean tool you should apply first. This is because it depends on your company’s level of maturity. For instance, ‘standard work’ should go first in some companies. On the other hand, perhaps 5S would suit others better. Therefore, it is crucial to use your judgment.
Most Applicable Lean Tools:
- 5S
- Basic time-related definitions
- Takt time, line balance, and flow
- Heijunka
- Standard work
- Kanban
- Andon
- Jidoka
- Single piece flow
- Cellular Flow
- Quick changeover
- Visual factory
- Total Productive Maintenance
- Mistake proofing
- Five – Why analysis