Lean tools

We offer companies support to go from traditional production or services to a Lean System that is robust and visual and that will secure continuous improvement. Together with you and your organisation we will identify waste in your processes and develop an approach to improve. This will improve your capacity and profitability. To achieve this we will develop an approach that is specifically tailored to your needs.

An assignment usually covers three stages of the change process:

1. Pre – study – We make a preliminary assessment of the potential performance improvement.
2. Development phase – Together with your management team we decide focus and develop a strategy and action plan.
3. Implementation – Together with you and your organisation, we will implement the strategy. We will coach you, and are there to advise and support you.

Lean Basics

To achieve sustainable change on a world class level we will analyse the current situation and identify the gap towards world class. In every building block in the pyramid it is clearly described what world class means.

Based on the result of the assessment we will develop a strategy and action plan together with your management team. When we implement the strategy we will focus on training your leaders. The goal is that after we finish a project your organisation should be able to drive continuous improvement in your own organisation. From experience we know that practical training of leaders is priority number one to achieve sustainable performance improvement that will stand over time.

• Lean leadership

  Lean leadership is a visual leadership that encourages everyone in the organization to reduce waste through problem solving.

  A Lean leader challenges through driving continuous improvement, going out to see in reality, developing teamwork by asking questions and respects people (PDCA). There is a big difference between Lean leadership and traditional leadership. It is therefore crucial to achieving success that leaders understand and can act as a Lean leader. To achieve this requires training.

• 5S

  5S is about discipline and creating a workplace that is well organized. To do this we must agree what condition the workplace should be in by setting rules. This will make the work place safe, clean and well organized.

  The 5S workplace is characterized by orderliness, nothing unnecessary is there. You don´t have to work your way around problems. The work place is well organized in a system that works every day. You will easily find what you are looking for and machines and equipment is clean.

  5S is visualized with plans, clear responsibilities and follow-up by leaders on all levels to drive continuous improvement.

• Standardized work

  Through standardized work we create a foundation for Kaizen, continuous improvement. The best way we know to do a job today with priority order of security, quality and efficiency. This will also lead to dramatic decreases in process variations. It will be possible to control the process. The introduction of standardized work requires that we implement it systematically, over time.

  The methodology we use looks briefly as follows:

  1. Standard – SOP – Standard Operational Procedures are written – based on Best Practice today. The best known way today to do a job.
  2. Anchorage of SOP´s in the business – get feedback
  3. Training in understanding and execution of SOP practical
  4. Job observations – leaders follow up – and improve over time.

  
  

  Radical improvements within safety, quality, delivery and cost is a common result when standardized work is in place in an organization. This creates a stable and sustainable system that constantly will be improved over time.

• Performance & daily management

  Everyone in the company should know and easily find strategic and daily goals. Monitoring of results is visualized in a clear structure for progress reporting and follow up meetings. Prioritization of resources and escalation of issues is in place.

  Development dialogues are used in communication to ensure that the Organization, the team and employees have the same understanding of why and where it is headed.

• Roles & responsebilities

  Clear roles that support the Organization’s processes and intentions is a prerequisite for good work performance through increased motivation, creativity & job satisfaction.

  All employees knows the daily and strategic objectives and what is expected from them. Through development dialogue between leader and employee, development needs are clear and identified for employees, teams and entire organization in a single process.

• Team organization

  With team organization, we mean that the involvement of the employees in their Department and cross-functional work environment will continuously improve product quality and process in the team’s area of responsibility.

  The team’s mission is clearly described. The team has clear goals and goals and actions are visualized. Problems are solved at the “lowest level”. Team members demonstrate pride and are motivated to fulfill their mission.

• Training

  A common mistake is to think that it is enough to have great looking standards set. Nothing can be further from the truth. Then standardized work will be a paper product, which is all too common. The possible effect of standardized work has not been released, which is a shame because that is what you want.

  It is therefore essential to respect that as part of the introduction we have to train those who will work with the standards practically. This is done through a highly effective methodology used by the best companies in the world.

• Job observations

  What we want to see we must ask for. This is true. It is the leader’s job and responsibility at various levels of the organization.

  Job observations means that we implement a visual system for follow up on standardized work. This makes it easy to identify the status. A system that drives continuous improvement.

• Operator maintenance

  We are working according to the JIPM model-Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance — the original model that is the basis of TPM – Total Productive Maintenance, and Operator maintenance.

  All production staff is actively involved in maintenance activities and do independently cleaning and inspection of the equipment and machines. Inspections leads to that you are able to control the condition of you equipment leading to an early identification of problems. Downtime in your value stream will be cut down dramatically. Your capacity will increase.

  A proper functioning operator’s maintenance will also lead to that the Maintenance organization can go from “firefighting” to focus on preventive maintenance. The responsibility between Production and Maintenance Department’s is clear.

  The introduction of operator maintenance requires structure and endurance. The method we use is divided into five steps.

  1. Initial cleaning
  2. Countermeasures to the source of the problem
  3. Standards for lubrication, cleaning and inspection
  4. Independant inspection
  5. Independent operator maintenance

  
  

  Experience shows that the operator`s maintenance is essential to get the possible effect of machinery and equipment. Experience show that up to 75% of the root cause of problems, can be solved or identified at an early stage.

• Levelling

  It is difficult if not impossible to work efficiently if you have large variations in volume and flows of material and information. It is also expensive because it will always be priority number one to be able to deliver to the customer. To solve this problem we cover up the uneven flow in various ways. Usually to unnecessarily high costs.

  Together we can look at your current situation and see what activities and countermeasures we can take to reduce the variations in your value stream.

  This can lead to huge gains since levelled flows will have a very large influence on productivity. In addition, it leads to a significantly better workday for your employees.

• Problem solving

  You have identified and visualized your problems. Although you notice that the same problem are coming back. Perhaps in various guises but it’s the same problem. Every week you talk about the same problem. This is because you have not solved the root cause of the problem, but only the symptom, as a short-term solution. Therefore, the problems return. In order to make progress in development, it is important to learn tools for problem solving and to adapt them to the correct situation and problem. When are we going to use which tool?

  We work with a variety of tools-5 Why, Practical problem solving, Ishikawa diagrams (4 m) and A3. How to apply the tools depends on complexity of the problem.

• Kaizen

  Kaizen comes from the Japanese words Kai and Zen. Kai means change or to correct and Zen means good. Kaizen simply means good change meaning improvement.

  Kaizen in a business or factory means that you have created a system where all employees are included, from top management to each operator. All are encouraged to come with small improvement suggestions on a regular basis. This is not a campaign for one month or one year. It is sustainable. Toyota has 60-70 proposals per employee and year, documented, shared and implemented.

  Kaizen is based upon that we regularly make small changes systematically to improve safety, quality, efficiency and productivity by eliminating waste in processes. In order to do this we need to understand and be able to see waste in processes. That is why training is extremely important in order to succeed, such as Gemba walks.

  This is the opposite of “if it is not broken, don´t fix it” as often is the basic philosophy of many companies.

  Kaizen philosophy is “do it better, make it better, improve it even if is not broken, because if we don’t we can’t compete with those who do”.

  Kaizen means that we will build a system of continuous improvement involving everyone at all levels in the company. What would your business look like in 3 years if all employees contributed with 60-70 improvement suggestions per year?

Lean In Depth

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) – We are working according to JIPM’s model – Japan Institue of Plant Maintenance – the original model of TPM.

Plan & visualize valuestream – With one glance get the grasp of situation in value stream. The goal is to make the value stream available for The Team to take action for next step.

Modularized standard products – By defining which benefits the organiztion is striving for, point out how to divide products in modules. After prototyping and aggressive testing out constraints, secure interfaces between modules.

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) – When you understand your customers need we will help you to map the value stream. Together we identify what stops material and information from flowing smoothly. Then we will prioritize actions to minimize waste in your value stream and improve safety, quality and leadtime.

Lean Dealers automotive – The route to satisfied customers, motivated employees, efficient processes and profitable retailers. Together we will assess your current state, create a future state and improve your business.