I have been in the Lean implementation and consulting business for more than 14 years. What I’ve come to realize is that many places have little to no emphasis on the Lean evolution journey! Specifically, most skip this part as it doesn’t talk about tools and techniques. Therefore, it’ll be helpful for us to take a look back at how Lean has been devised over the years. Here’s a chronological list of several foundational practices which were devised much before Lean was formalized. You’ll get an idea of what these practices are and what their purpose was.
Lean is not the ‘starting point’ in a transformation journey
1. Standardized Work:
Regarding standardized work, I stand by the philosophy of ‘say what you do and do what you say’. Of course, instead of saying this, we’ll be documenting them. This, in my opinion, is the purpose of an ISO.
2. Time Study and Work Standards:
Time study and work standards involve the systematic investigation and analysis of the motions and the time needed to perform a specific task. They should have the goal to seek more efficient methods of production and should additionally set time standards.
3. Process Charts and Motion Study:
The flow process chart is a graphic and symbolic representation of the processing activities that are performed on a workpiece. On the other hand, a motion study outlines the various ergonomics that are involved.
4. Assembly Line and Flow Concept:
The assembly line and flow concept elaborate on how one can sequence the workload per customer demands. Additionally, it has the responsibility of ensuring balance and flow of workload across work roles.
5. SPC and TQM:
SPC is applied to oversee and control a process. In other words, checking and controlling the process ensures that it performs at its full potential. TQM (Total Quality Management) is a structured approach. Specifically, it aims to improve the quality of products and services through constant refinements.
6. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM):
In any industry, total productive maintenance is a system of preserving and improving the integrity of production and quality systems through the machines, equipment, processes, and employees that add business value to an organization.
7. World-Class/ Lean Manufacturing:
Japanese manufacturing was the one that pioneered the concept of world-class manufacturing – which is now synonymous with Lean manufacturing. It reiterates that you should produce to customer demand only. Lean manufacturing is a collection of concepts that set the standard for products that other organizations should follow. Some of its techniques are as follows:
- Make to order
- Streamlined Flow
- Smaller lot sizes
- Collection of parts
- Doing it right the first time
- Cellular or group manufacturing
- Total preventive maintenance
- Quick replacement
- Zero Defects
- Just in Time
- Increased consistency
- Higher employee involvement
- Cross-Functional Teams
- Multi-Skilled employees
- Visual Signalling
- Statistical process control
The Lean implementation journey took more than 100 years to reach here! Each discovery has laid the foundation for the next one. A renewed need came up after every discovery, and therefore a need for discoveries came on subsequently. Today companies aim at attaining #7 without due consideration to #1 through #6. Therefore, they also lack their associated foundational practices. While money matters, it crumbles without a strong foundation. So, it’s time we learn from the evolution of Lean philosophy.