The goal of Lean is to produce the right amount of high quality
products or services, at the right time, with the least amount
of time, effort, and cost. The customer defines what the right
product or service is, when they need it, and how much they
want of it. The Lean approaches, methods, tools, and techniques
are built on the world’s most efficient system—the
Toyota Production System.
Implementing Lean requires that you build quality into all
steps of the process with an objective of 100% defect-free production.
With Lean, you are providing products and services at competitive
prices by eliminating waste in the system. You are supporting
team members through effective management deployment and support,
and you are instituting a never-ending cycle of improvement.
What
makes Lean different from Six Sigma?
The difference between Lean and Six Sigma becomes apparent
when you are determining which method to use to implement improvement.
Lean uses known approaches and applies them to known root causes,
while Six Sigma studies the unique situation and develops customized
solutions to address underlying root causes.
What
are the similarities between Lean and Six Sigma?
Lean and Six Sigma share a common purpose to increase value
to the customer and increase value to the business—they
rely on three basic interdependent tenets:
Focus on the customer
Use of a scientific approach
Teamwork
Can
I use Lean if I’m already using Six Sigma?
Yes, many organizations that have started with Lean are incorporating
Six Sigma into their programs. STAT-A-MATRIX can work with your
organization to integrate Six Sigma concepts and tools into
your existing structure, giving you the ability to use the tools
and techniques that are best suited for the specific problem
being addressed.
We
already have a continuous improvement program. What can Lean do
for us?
Lean focuses on reducing waste in the entire value stream—the
complete set of activities required to bring a product or service
into the hands of the customer (Lean Thinking, Womack and Jones,
1996). Focusing on the entire value stream allows you to identify
and eliminate waste within each process and activity and between
processes and activities. Improving individual processes and
the overall value stream flow can help you reap the largest
benefits from your continuous improvement efforts.
Can
Lean be used in nonmanufacturing environments?
Yes, Lean has been applied successfully in a variety of non
manufacturing environments including financial services, healthcare
industries, government, military, and nonprofit foundations.
Virtually any organization can be described in terms of the
value stream—and any value stream includes waste, which
can be identified and eliminated using Lean.
What are
the benefits of Lean?
Improved quality
Reduced errors/defects
Reduced costs
Waste eliminated
Improved flow
Simplification of complex processes
Improved safety
Reduced lead/cycle time
Providing the right product/service in the right amount at
the right time
Providing the highest value to the customer at the lowest
possible cost
Increased profitability
What is a Lean/kaizen/blitz
event?
A Lean (kaizen or blitz) event is an intense, brief team effort
to apply specific Lean approaches to reduce waste, defects,
and cycle time and implement improvements in a particular process
or department.
What
is a value stream map?
A value stream map is a workflow visualization tool for representing
how customer needs are met. It is a picture of the entire value
stream. Some of what it includes is supplier and customer information,
the flow of materials and information, lead time, and cycle
time. The value stream map makes waste easier to see and opportunities
for improvement are easier to identify.
What
would it take for us to implement Lean?
Implementing Lean requires:Understanding and commitment of
top leadership.
Access to current information on customer needs—your
critical data pool.
A process-management system to measure current performance
and identify where you need to make improvements.
Resources—Coaches, Team Leaders, Team Members—trained
to design and improve processes and to assist process owners.
Ongoing management involvement and review to reinforce process
management, improvement, and design.
Communication to ensure that customer focus and Lean methods
are embraced throughout the organization.
Assigned responsibilities for Lean within the organization.
How
do we know which processes our organization should target for
improvement?
Not every process needs immediate improvement. Start by considering
which processes concern your customers the most and place your
priorities there. Use your value stream map to identify waste
and opportunities for improvement. For example, a hospital might
learn from surveys that their customers care less about the
time it takes to be admitted than they do about safe medical
procedures and proper medications.
How do
we select Lean events to work on?
There is a systematic process for selection that begins with
the organization’s strategy and top management. They identify
what processes are “hurting” the organization the
most, and then develop value stream maps for those processes.
Areas of waste are identified, and then translated into executable
improvement opportunities. Once the opportunities are prioritized,
then process improvement teams are assigned to work on the problems
by conducting Lean events.
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