Juran's Quality Handbook: The Complete Guide to Performance Excellence, Seventh Edition by Joseph A. Defeo

Author:Joseph A. Defeo [Defeo, Joseph A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
Published: 2016-11-11T05:00:00+00:00

Improving the Process and Implementing Pull Systems

Once takt time has been calculated, each constraint (such as long setup times) should be identified and managed (or eliminated) to enable smaller batch sizes. Ideally, this leads to single-piece flow. If this reduction can be achieved, it will eliminate overproduction and excess inventories. Pull production scheduling techniques are used so that customer demand pulls demand through the value stream (from supplier to production to the customer). In pull production, materials are staged at the point of consumption. As they are consumed, a signal is sent back to previous steps in the production process to pull forward sufficient materials to replenish only what has been consumed.

The steps for improvement teams (or kaizen teams) to Lean out an operation are as follows:

• Determine the pace (takt time and manpower)

• Establish the sequence and replenishment (product family turnover and setup/changeover required)

• Design the line or process (proximity, sequence, interdependence)

• Feed the line or process (strategic inventory, standard WIP)

• Balance the line or process (load, standard work)

• Stabilize and refine (6S, continuous improvement)

Competitive pressures to reduce lead-time are now a driving force to analyze processes for improvement. A flow diagram or preferably a Value Stream Map can reveal a wealth of sources for improvement such as

• The number of functions and how they interact

• The extent to which the same macro process is used for the vital few customers and the useful many

• The existence of rework

• The extent and location of bottlenecks, such as numerous needs for signatures

• The location and amount of inventory

Numerous ways have been found to shorten the cycle time for processes. These include

• Providing a simplified process for the useful many applications

• Reducing the number of steps and handoffs

• Eliminating wasteful “loops”

• Reducing changeover time

• Managing the constraint or bottleneck resource

• Reducing inventory

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