Page 258 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

236 Cha pte r S i x tee n

The Zeta Cell
Next is an application to a single processing cell, the story of the Zeta Cell. I have included
it since they were able to apply the First Prescription, The Four Strategies to Becoming Lean,
and make huge early gains with it alone. I have also included this since it is often the type
of project undertaken as part of a Lean effort. That is, conversion of a single process or a
single cell to Lean manufacturing. Again, here, the gains made in this production cell were
truly outstanding. They, too, were made under some very adverse circumstances.

QED Motors
In addition, there is included an example of a much more complicated processing
arrangement for a larger value stream in the case of QED Motors. In this case, they
applied the entire, Second Prescription: How to Implement Lean. They addressed the
fundamental issues to cultural change, completed an entire systemwide evaluation and
thoroughly addressed the First Prescription—The Four Strategies to Becoming Lean for
one of their production lines, the Motors Line. So they addressed the quality control
and the quantity control issues including doing a full value stream analysis. Like the
previous two examples, their gains were also huge and rapid.
Maybe You Can’t Fix It All … But
My hope is that this book and these techniques will reach a broad range of people who
want to make their facilities leaner, making those facilities securer and better money-
making machines. I often find an engineer for a value stream who would like to imple-
ment Lean techniques but tells me, “You know I would like to apply Lean principles but
the facility is just not interested.” That may prove to be an obstacle, but don’t let that
stop you. The following real-life examples show why you must not stop:

• That was almost the case at Larana Manufacturing. Some of the local management
wanted to change but there was literally no support at the corporate level.
• That is precisely what we did in the case of the Zeta Cell. In fact, the plant
owners DID NOT WANT to change and we found a
way to make them change.
“Do not let those things
you can not do, prevent you Just because we can not change the whole plant
from doing those things you does not mean we cannot change our value stream.
”
can … And just because we may not be able to change the
John Wooden entire value stream does not mean we cannot change
things in our area of influence.

Lean Preparation Done Well: The Story of Larana Manufacturing

Background Information
The story of Larana Manufacturing is a story of real success, not only of a Lean imple-
mentation but how to work through the precursors to Lean and achieve success all the
way. It is the story of getting huge early gains on the way to becoming Lean.

• Larana Manufacturing makes electrical parts. They are a tier-two supplier to
the automobile industry.