Gemba, a term first used by Toyota, means going to the real place where the action is. In the 1980s, ‘In Search of Excellence’ author Tom Peters popularized the concept when he talked about management by wandering around (MBWA). Like MBWA, Gemba walks take management to the front lines to see daily happenings. Gemba, however, is more focused. Find Where Value Is Created Gemba refers to “the…
If your company is like most organizations, you’re searching for a competitive edge. Something that will reduce costs, increase sales, and make you more agile in a changing business environment. You’ve found it. Simply put, 5S is a systematic approach to workplace organization. But it’s also much more than that. 5S is about efficiency, competitiveness, and survival. It is a deceptively simple system that creates an organized…
The best thing about kaizen – and the biggest reason that every company should adopt it – is that it does not rely on expensive, innovative solutions. Just the opposite is true. The core principle of kaizen is to make small, immediate improvements in the processes and standards of the workplace. But not just one improvement. Looking for ways to make small improvements should be part of…
Lean, the manufacturing methodology, impacts nearly every aspect of the business in order to reduce and eliminate wastes while maintaining or improving quality. Lean can be worked into virtually any part of a business and in any area in a facility. The scope of Lean is broad and can sometimes be seen as abstract. To achieve the goals of Lean and accomplish its objectives, there are many…
Lean manufacturing is a systematic methodology used to reduce wastes in the process while improving productivity and sustaining or improving the value of the product for the consumer. Many concepts, principles, and strategies fall under the umbrella of Lean The concepts and principles of Lean manufacturing are often referred to as a house: a strong foundation of leadership and employees, the walls of the house that optimize…
The principles and strategies of Lean manufacturing are mostly derived from the Toyota Production System. Because this system is was developed in Japan, there are many Lean terms that are also Japanese terms like Heijunka or Jishuken. There are also a few English words in the Lean vernacular including Value Stream Mapping and Bottleneck Analysis. It can be difficult to fully grasp the concepts of Lean manufacturing…
Taiichi Ohno, the pioneer of the Toyota Production System, formally identified common wastes found in manufacturing and coined it as the 7 Wastes of Lean. The 8 Wastes of Lean is simply an extension and update of Ohno’s original philosophy. Lean manufacturing breaks down different categories of waste: Muda, Mura, and Muri. Literally translated from Japanese, Muda means useless, and the original 7 Wastes of Lean fall…
Lean is business model often used in manufacturing industries that works to identify and eliminate waste while still creating value for customers. Lean encompasses a variety of things and Lean manufacturing terms, tools, and practices are mainly derived from the Toyota Production System and was first coined in the 1980s by John Krafcik. The toolbox of Lean Organizations practicing Lean has a toolbox chock full of helpful…
The methodology of Lean can be successfully implemented in a number of workplaces across industries including manufacturing, healthcare, offices, and government. The concept of Lean focuses on improving processes while involving workers from all levels, but still having the customer’s satisfaction in mind. The Toyota Motor Company worked to develop many of the concepts that are at the core of Lean and it was referred to as…