Page 78 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

CHAPTER 4

Lean Manufacturing

Simplified

ean Manufacturing must be understood at three different levels. There is the phi-
losophy, which drives the goals and culture; the foundational aspects of quality
Lcontrol on which it is built; and the strategy, tactics, and skills utilized in the
quantity control to become Lean. The House of Lean (see Chap. 20) is a descriptive
metaphor in graphic format that will assist you in understanding how all these aspects
work together to describe the mature Lean Manufacturing system.

The Philosophy and Objectives
At the heart of Lean is its philosophy, which is a long-term philosophy of growth by generat-
ing value for the customer, society, and the economy with the objectives of reducing costs,
improving delivery times, and improving quality through the total elimination of waste.
It is not practical to discuss all of these issues without discussing, in detail, the cul-
tural aspects of Lean and of the Toyota Production System (TPS). We will briefly cover
the topic of cultures in Chap. 11, but a comprehensive discussion of the Lean culture is
beyond the scope of this book. The rest of the subject matter of this book will keep you
busy for the next three years. That seems like an adequate first effort for the implemen-
tation of your Lean initiative.
If you need a quick refresher on the foundational
aspects of Lean Manufacturing, and particularly
Ohno’s clear distinction between quality and quan- Point of Clarity The TPS is
tity control, see the Ohno quotes and extracts in a quantity control system.
Chap. 2.

The Foundation of Quality Control

Strategy
This foundation of high quality has two strategies. First is the training and develop-
ment of the workforce. Second is the effort to make all processes stable and capable of
meeting customer needs. It is a strategy designed to achieve high levels of delivered
quality.

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