As businesses look to reopen and get employees back to work, there’s a highly effective technique that can help speed up the process — it’s called a Gemba Walk. The Gemba walk is an essential part of the Lean manufacturing philosophy. Its initial purpose is to allow managers and leaders to observe the actual work […]
What is a Gemba Walk and why is it important? Read More
In a perfect world, machines would never break down, assembly lines would never stop, superior products without defects would be produced, product quotas would always be met, and products would be picked up and delivered on time. But, unfortunately, it’s not a perfect world. Sometimes things happen that throw production off schedule. This is where
What is Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)? Read More
Lean manufacturing addresses one of the worst things that can happen to any enterprise: waste. To not take full advantage of all of your resources is to lose efficiencies and, in so doing, stunt production. These neglected resources include everything from manufacturing project management tools, to the skills of the staff members. The core idea
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A lot is happening in the automotive industries. Many manufactures are pivoting towards electric cars while trying to establish new supply chains that would be more resilient in today’s changing environment. But there’s another thing happening – we are seeing the emergence of microfactories. One of the most well known examples is the electric vehicle
Microfactories – the latest trend in manufacturing Read More
Standard or standardized work instructions (SWI) are instructions, specifically designed to ensure the consistency, timing, and repetition of the processes. You’ll recognize them as printed papers, put on tables or boards next to the operator’s work stations. Standard work instructions are subject to lean manufacturing’s approach of continuous improvement, also called Kaizen. It refers to
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Customer-specific products are booming, wich means that batch sizes are getting smaller and smaller. As a result, the variation and combination of different tasks to be performed at a workplace and by an employee are also increasing sharply. An employee has to master an almost infinite number of processes. In order not to be overtaxed
Why Write Work Instructions And Why Are They Important Read More
Take a walk through any manufacturing shop floor and you’ll notice carefully crafted documents that help workers achieve their daily goals. Standard operating procedures and standard work instructions are key to success in manufacturing. They can be improved upon through document reviews, audits, a disciplined problem-solving process and, most importantly, the input from the experts
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Lean Production is widely recognized and accepted in the industrial setting. It concerns the strict integration of humans in the manufacturing process, a continuous improvement and focuses on value-adding activities by avoiding waste. However, a new paradigm called Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution has recently emerged in the manufacturing sector. It allows creating
How are Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 connected? Read More
