Page 254 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

232 Cha pte r F i f tee n

make the best of a lousy situation. Better ways to reduce processing delays are
to synchronize operations, close couple processes and production rate leveling
for both rate and the model-mix.
5. Manage the process to absorb deviations, solve problems For the Bravo
Line, we did not specifically highlight any applications of this technique. There
are many sources of deviation that increase production lead times such as
machinery breakdowns, stock outs, and stoppages for quality problems, to
name just a few. All these deviations cause inventories to rise, and inventories
are the nemesis in Lean manufacturing—we want to go to zero inventory if we
can. So whenever we have variation in the system, do not add inventory …
instead, attack the variation.
6. Reduce transportation delays One-piece flow, synchronization, and product
leveling all place emphasis on transportation, which is also a waste. To reduce
this waste, several strategies can be employed:
• Kanban is the first thing most people think of, but kanban has inventory, and
kanban creates a second delay, the delay of information transfer, so it is a
double waste in itself. Try to avoid kanban systems by instead using close
coupled operations such as those in a cell and the use conveyors, as we did
here.
7. Reduce changeover times; employ SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies)
technology The Bravo Line had very short changeover times, so we made no
applications of SMED technology here .

This is clearly a Lean success story!

What Could Be Next for the Bravo Line?

Further Analysis
Now it is time to do another time study and rebalance the line. We did paper kaizen and
determined we could:

• Standardize the improvements to date
• Make minor processing changes
• Rebalance the workload
• Create better flow by moving Cell 2 to be next to Cell 1, and eliminate the queue,
then convert to a single seven-station U-cell arrangement
• Eliminate the conveyors and go to one-piece flow

Potential Results
The paper kaizen improvements showed:

• The company could reduce space by another 55 percent.
• The company could operate at a cycle time slightly less than takt and run both
cells with only 6.4 people—really 7.
• The labor consumed would be less than 105 man days per 10,000 units.