Six Sigma/Lean Projects We recommend beginning our process by conducting a Lean assessment of your organization's performance to determine performance gaps. We target the following ten areas:
Communication and Cultural Awareness
Visual Systems
Standard Work
Continuous Improvement
Operational Flexibility
Mistake-Proofing
Quick Changeover/Setup
Preventive Maintenance (TPM)
Pull Systems
Balanced Production
The assessment helps both our organizations understand where operational gaps exist and where to begin our Lean transformation. Stabilizing processes, Kaizen, and Standard Work are Lean tools that make up the foundation supporting the House of Lean. Process stabilization is the first critical step in any successful Lean implementation, for without process stability you cannot be sure how much time a given operation will require. Consequently process variation drives unexpected results, uncertainty, and encourages bad behaviors. Kaizen introduces the concept of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) to help your team identify and measure current methods ,and solicit ideas for improvement. Standard work, the glue that binds our foundation of continuous improvement, helps us reduce variation by instituting repeatable processes that Kaizen has identified. As a result your process stability significantly increases along with your team’s belief in the new methods because THEY design and implement them.
We rely upon the followingcapabilities and processes to regenerate your organization’s performance and achieve operational productivity excellence:
Interval and pitch---if your process contains setups, balance to interval, if no setups balance to takt time
Other Lean / Six Sigma tools
Our Lean Workout methodology is a rapid, cost-effective approach for your organization to achieve increased profitability in days, not weeks or months. It enables you to participate in and experience Six Sigma and Lean reduce your operating cost with minimal risk. Our Lean Workout is based upon a thorough understanding of your organization, its people, products, processes, and current performance.
We work together to define your organizational needs, help you identify a solid core Lean Team, and work along with your organization at all levels to transform its culture into a culture that can identify and eliminate wasteful practices.
We recommend a setup time reduction project, targeting a pilot area of your choice
We begin by thoroughly understanding and defining your specific setup process performance
Thorough data analysis establishes process baselines
We prepare/present your enterprise with a pro-forma forecast of expected results. These results provide two (2) levels of attainment: a targeted goal (most likely) and a stretch goal (aggressive, but possible)
Your team participates in a Kaizen focused on the attaining the setup time improvements, and also learns how to identify the eight (8) Lean wastes, applying 5S, and SMED techniques (single minute exchange of die)
Your team enthusiastically reports their results to senior management and prepares to expand their project
Lean Solutions Group meets with your senior management team at the project’s conclusion
We conduct a 30-day follow up assessment, comparing initial baselines with existing performance