Page 68 - Lean six sigma demystified

Chapter 2 Lean Demy StifieD 47

production cells with right-sized machines and quick changeover, you can
quickly reduce most of these common kinds of non-value-added waste by
50% to 90%.
? still struggling

Simply eliminating delays between steps will dramatically improve productivity
and profitability. Then focus on reducing the batch size produced or the amount
of inventory maintained. When you get fast, you won’t need as much inventory.
When you can produce products on demand, you won’t need big batches.

The Five S’s

In 1982, an article appeared in the Atlantic Monthly suggesting that merely fix-
ing broken windows and cleaning the streets would reduce crime. A building
with broken windows would invite further vandalism that would lead to squat-
ters and drugs and crime. Litter on the streets would give even regular citizens
permission to toss their used bottles and bags on the ground, not in the trash.
Graffiti on subway cars would lead to escalating violence on the trains.
Preventing petty crimes of vandalism and littering encourages solid citizens
to stay in the neighborhood, and this prevents the escalation to more serious
crimes.
In my neighborhood, I take my dog for a walk every day. I invariably find

bottles, cans, and fast food restaurant bags along the streets, creek, and canal
where I walk. I’ve taken to carrying plastic bag not just for the dog’s waste, but
for people’s as well.
Although there are many factors that affect crime, the data suggests that
rapid repair of vandalism and cleaning up the trash does reduce petty crime and
ultimately major crime.
Sounds a lot like Lean’s 5S strategy. The 5S concepts are a great way to
understand what’s going on in your process. The 5S principles of reorganizing
work so that it’s simpler, more straightforward, and visually manageable are
1. Sort. Keep only what is needed. Pitch everything else.

2. Straighten. A place for everything and everything in its place.