Page 239 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

The Story of the Alpha Line 217

sampling to once per day and we used only one data point, transferring the information
to an XmR chart for individuals. This continued for several months, and the process
showed remarkable stability, with Cpks exceeding 3.0. At this point, we discontinued the
SPC entirely and the process continued free of defects at the solder iron stations.
So just what happened? Exactly how did we execute this purpose of SPC, which is
to cease doing SPC?
Well, we used the information from SPC to make the process more robust. First we
implemented a simple form of maintenance: tip cleaning. Since the process was stable,
we reduced the sampling frequency to reduce the cost of the SPC. Then, through careful
monitoring of the SPC, we gained additional information about the process. We used
this information to make process changes—in this case, a monthly PM, which increased
the robustness of the process. All the while, we were reducing the cost of sampling and
analysis until we were able to do away with the SPC entirely.
So you see, here we were successful. By implementing SPC, we were able to cease
doing SPC and in the interim we made the process robust. Neat, huh?

Just How Committed Was Management of the Alpha Line?

The Commitment Test
Let us test their commitment by grading it against :

The Five Tests of Management Commitment to Lean Manufacturing
1. Are you actively studying about and working at making your facility leaner
and hence more flexible, more responsive and more competitive? (All must
continue to learn and must be actively engaged; no spectators allowed!)
2. Are you willing to listen to critiques of your facility and then understand
and change the areas, in your facility, which are not lean? (We must be
intellectually open.)
3. Do you honestly and accurately assess your responsiveness and compe-
titiveness…. on a global basis? (We must be intellectually honest.)
4. Are you totally engaged in the Lean transition with your

• Time
• Presence
• Management attention
• Support, (including manpower, capital and emotional support)
(We must be doing it; we must be on the floor, observing talking to people
and imagining how to do it better; Lean implementation is not a spectator
sport.)
5. Are you willing to ask, answer to and act on, “How can I make this facility
more flexible, more responsive and more competitive? (We must be
inquisitive, willing to listen to all including peers, superiors and subordinates
alike, no matter how painful it may be and then be willing and able to make
the needed changes.)
The evaluation below gives a test by test critique of how the management performed as
they made the huge progress on the Alpha Line.