Page 200 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

178 Cha pte r T e n

• To follow up that the work was completed
• To document the audit

These audits are, by definition, nondelegable. The benefits are tremendous here. Let
me state just a couple, but the list goes on.

• It provides a real-life connection of the manager to the floor and the workers
know the manager is committed, not just involved. The managers will be seen
as real workers, not just shiny pants looking at spreadsheets in their office.
• It provides an understanding, at the worker level, that their problems are
understood by top management, and that they, the workers, are not totally
insulated by middle management. The workers can easily see that they have a
conduit of communication to the top managers.
Through these audits, system deficiencies can be found and corrected. They com-
plete the PDCA cycle for the system. Few companies do management audits, and even
fewer have an annual audit policy. This lack of an auditing system—and the lack of
management audits in particular—hinders system improvements and is a major imped-
iment to sustaining the gains.

Chapter Summary
One of the key foundational issues is the ability to sustain the process gains, once
they are achieved. This is a key issue to maximize process gains over time, but strangely
enough few companies do this well. The first problem to sustaining the gains is to make
sure there is, in place, a system to assure that losses become obvious, when they occur.
The technique used to make the losses obvious is called transparency. The two strongest
techniques to sustain the gains, once they are found, are through product and process
simplification. Although these are strong techniques, for the typical Lean initiative,
they are not practical. The next best method is to standardize through the use of poka-
yokes. This is also a very strong technique, but this is also often underutilized. Finally,
the most common but least robust technique to sustain the gains is to standardize the
process procedure. A Five Step Prescription exists on how to standardize the process.
You will not only find this prescription amazing, but once implemented you will find it
to be effective as well. It includes:
1. Good work procedures and standards, reflective of the facility goals
2. Sound training in the work procedures, including being reality tested on
performance to the standard
3. Simple visual checks to see if the standards are met—transparency
4. Routine management audits, daily if not hourly
5. Routine audits by management … to teach the managers, to check the system