Lean
Lean Manufacturing is a management philosophy that focus on waste reduction in the manufacturing process. In the 1930s, Toyota created this methodology. Since then it has become a practice used across various industries.
Lean manufacturing focuses on the continuous pursuit of reducing produced things, that consume resources but do not add value. Examples of waste in the manufacturing process include:
- Excess Transportation: This happens when vehicles, parts, and machinery are being moved excessively.
- Excess Inventory: This means having an excess of stored components.
- Excess Movement: Refers to unnecessary movement of people, goods, and equipment.
- Poor Work Planning: This occurs when people or equipment are idle.
- Overproduction: This happens when the production is higher than necessary.
- Defects: Issues that require correction, consuming resources.
- Excess Processing: This means there are unnecessary steps in the process that do not add value.
The principles of Lean can also be applied to project management. Project teams using Lean seek to continuously improve their processes. The goal is not just to correct but to improve—meaning adopting an approach that cyclically aims to optimize and refine processes.
Project Management Courses
The Lean Principles
The principles of Lean that include all aspects of the production cycle are:
- Value for the Customer: The main goal of Lean is to create value for the customer. Therefore, the focus should be on maintaining activities that create value for the customer.
- Identify the Value Stream: The team must have a complete understanding of the process that adds value so they can to eliminate waste.
- Continuous Flow: The team must ensure the continuity of processes since interruptions lead to waste.
- Waiting for Customer Orders: The team just finish the work when is necessary to avoid waste.
- Seek Perfection: The process of continuous improvement aims to achieve perfection.
Lean Techniques
Lean Manufacturing has introduced various techniques in production management. Likewise, the team can use some of these techniques as project setting:
- Control Charts: Control charts are used to check if variations in the process are controlled. Therefore, the team must perform an intervention if the variations are outside of control limits. On the other hand, the team can consider the process controlled if variations are within limits.
- Value Stream Mapping (VSM): This technique uses flowcharts to map all steps in the work process. Therefore, it is possible to gain an overview and a simplified analysis of the current state of the value chain. It also helps detect defects and bottlenecks in the process.
Advantages of Lean
The primary advantage of Lean Manufacturing is waste reduction. However, its benefits do not end there. Lean also allows to:
- Improving Product Quality: The team eliminates waste by improving processes, allowing more time for product improvement and innovation.
- Reducing Costs and Time: Lean can lower project costs and timelines by eliminating work that does not deliver value.