Standard Work and the PDCA cycle.

I love teach Standard Work to young Engineers, their expectations are always what type of software I going to show, and they look very confused when I say “ dear Team to day I’ll teach all of you to walk, see, draw and ask why? 5 times, and then Standard Work “...."Genchi Genbutsu".

I recommend to perform the training on Genba rather than, meeting rooms or classroom.

The process to improve a production line using Standard Work is directly related with the PDCA cycle is not just “Before and After”.

The team should PLAN (Draw the current situation Standard Work, ask 5 times why? For all the None Value Add Activities –NVA- that they being capable to see at that moment and creates the Kaizen News Paper – Improvement Plan); and then go ahead with the DO (The first try, or as I call it Try-Storming, physical changes transform the line to U shape cell maybe etc.); following by the CHECK  (this is the second draw or review; for sure the Team will be able to see clear new or more NVA than before, new challenges are going to be added to Kaizen News Paper – Improvement Plan) the Team must now go for the ADJUST ( could be just one or more it is up to the goal achievement in terms of productivity , Takt Time , Operators Numbers, Quality etc.).

On these examples you can see how the changes on production floor are follows.

Obviously many specific improvements on process must being done; this is not easy; the implementation time is up to the Team member’s skills and if tool room that makes possible supports them the process changes. Plus the others formats and tools.

See some improvements that are needed to reach the goal, please take it as examples.

I hope this help you in your next project.

Quick guidelines to Identify Typical Project for Lean Office, Supply Chain, IT and Accounting on one VSM since the beginning of Lean Deployment, plus the Manufacturing Projects.

As always everything start with the VSM Current State.

However I recommend do not misunderstands the big differences between VSM for Manufacturing companies versus the VSM for Lean Office, Services or other Transactional business that don’t manufacture or transforms any physical product, as example: Banks, Government Services etc.

My comment is because many people on Manufacturing Business, made the VSM Current State with very few information about the Transactional (Office) process such as (Supply Chain, Office, Finance, Distribution etc.) that affects the performance on their production floor and the KPI’s of entire organization, and later on the Lean Deployment the consultant ask for a new VSM just for the Lean Office, this is big mistake, waste of time and delays the sustainable Lean benefits. (This is known as Lean Fake)

Is very easy and less complicated if at the beginning with the VSM Current State the organization highlight those (Office and Transactional) process as well as the improvements on Production areas, the team has the opportunity to target the improve of those KPI’s on kaizen events and the improve will be more reasonable and faster.

Lest see an example:

On this VSM , there are information about Lean Office ( Supply Chain , Accounting , Finance , IT, Distribution),  and opportunities on Production Floor (yellow clouds) ,  the blue clouds are for Lean Supply Chain , the Green ones for Lean Office (Finance , IT, etc.) and may be possible that a branch of  a specific process needs  more details  information that can be added  on further kaizen events but not  a full and new VSM Office is needed, averting must be linked on one VSM since the beginning.

The team can do the Office Kaizen Events using specific and less complicated maps and diagrams that complements and links all the branches at the same time all the process in just one VSM, lets see some examples:

Business Process Mapping: Hiring Process Example

Swim Lane Process Mapping Diagram- Payroll Process Example

Business Process Elements: Example

Visit: http://www.conceptdraw.com/examples/swimlanes-process-map ; for more information about this Diagrams.

I recommend also using this simple checklist for the Typical Projects related with Lean Office, Supply Chain, IT , Finance.

See an example of VSM for Lean Office (none Manufacture).

Hope this can help you in your next project.

How to depict the Inventory or the Process Cycle Times on VSM when those are in parallel? The right way….

Many people have asked me how to depict the Inventory or the Cycle Times when those are in parallel on the real process.

Do they must make the sum or take the biggest?

The answer is:  for Inventory you must consider the biggest, however for the Cycle Time you must do the Sum.

Please see the example on the VSM Toyota 500N center cell current state second quarter 2004.

Fig.

Please note that for the first processes of VSM the cycle time considered on Lead Time (VA) was the sum of (30 sec + 2 sec + 62 sec = 94 Sec).

And for the Inventory that coming from those processes was considered the biggest one of the 4 Inventories ( 4 Days, 5 Days, 4 Days 1.5 Days) ,  to be represented on Lead Time  as NVA.

Same considerations were taken for the VSM Future Toyota 500N center Cell Quarter 2004.

Fig.

I really hope this can help you on your next projects.

Reference:  The Toyota Way Fieldbook – Jeffrey K. Liker and David Meier.