Lean Manufacturing : Knowing how to Copy and Improve
Every manager wishes to have a system that would allow it's company to Conceive and Manufacture Better, Faster and Cheaper.
How to do that fast and simple ?
One Answer : Knowing how to Copy and Improve a system that has proved itself in hundreds of companies of all sizes, positioning them on the best world places.
Simple in it's phrasing, this answer needs some explaining of the method and perseverance to achieve it.
Knowing how to copy means to adapt well to the specificities of their company, not to copy "without thinking" but to understand the spirit, to know the methods and to choose the priority tools depending on the products and manufacturing proceedings.
Improve : Whatever the level of performance achieved through the use of a tools, it's always possible to do better, especially to find a more effective way to use it, the improvement is infinite.
Let us provide more details about Knowing how to Copy and Improve in the classic form of the WWWWWHH (What, Why, Who, Where, When, How, How much)
What ?
The state of mind, the methods and the tools
Who ?
The best companies worldwide, lead undoubtedly by TOYOTA.
Why ?
To seek to obtain results as enviable as these.
When ?
Start now, especially if you are in a comfortable situation, don't wait until it's too late!
Where ?
First by the value bought by the External Clients (in the workshops, the stores..) and after that starting with the requirements of the internal Clients, move upstream, towards the services of these entities (administrative offices, methods, conception, research
How ?
- Understand and adopt the principles and tools used, here are 2 documents to read :
- A few presentation pages
http://www.al-consulting.com/fr/LXP/lxp3/entreprise lean jc.pdf - A book reference : The Toyota Spirit at the Masson ISBN editions : 2-225-81709-X
- A few presentation pages
- Knowing how to be helped in order to achieve a deep knowledge of the system (the best way being to participate to sites where the main tools are applied : 5S, Hoshin, Smed, Kanban,....)
- Applying the continuous improvement principles to the approach itself.
- Develop the MC² of each collaborator of the company (see article http://www.al-consulting.com/fr/LXP/LXP2/lxp2al.htm )
- Understand and adopt the principles and tools used, here are 2 documents to read :
How much ?
Takes 3 months to achieve significant results on one or two projects which will then serve as examples.
Then count from 2 to 3 years to deploy the Lean Manufacturing throughout the enterprise,
Everything will depend on the MC² of the Leader.