The first step should be a Waste Reduction project. A well-managed programme can deliver significant cost reductions.
A Waste Reduction project is a means of demonstrating the potential of Lean Manufacturing, focusing on the improved use of resources.
- For one client, every order included a 'just in case' scrap allowance. Result: operators not focussed on 'right first time', and a build-up of excess parts in store. Solution: a formalised procedure for monitoring and tackling the cause of rejects.
- For another client, material utilisation was poor due to the level of give-away, included as a safety buffer. Solution: evaluation and monitoring of the process variability using SPC techniques leading to corrective action.
Both clients saw big benefits in this single step, and recognised that they had under-estimated the opportunities for improvement.
|
|
 Read step 2 - continuous improvement...
 Lean manufacturing brochure in pdf format
(260kB)
Reports are in Adobe Reader format, and a free reader can be obtained from the  Adobe web-site
|
