Frequently Asked Questions
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1. We don't make thousands of pieces of
end product every year, is Lean still for us?
2. We have spent a lot of time and effort
on re-engineering our production facility. What will Lean
give us that we don't already have?
3. We don't have a large budget. How much
will the implementation of Lean cost us?
4. We don't normally use consultants, why
should we change our current policy?
5. What is 'Kaizen'?
6. Can Lean be applied to the Administration
and Indirect areas of the business?
7. How is the effectiveness of the change
to Lean measured?
Contact us if you
have any more questions, we'll be pleased to answer them.
We don't make thousands of pieces of end product every year,
is Lean still for us?
An operating system based on Lean Principles is applicable
to any operation or process. Lean is not a prescriptive process
that must be applied in steps but rather a process that achieves
the end result in a democratic manner by following guidelines.
The fact that Lean is a process directed towards a set of
Principles means that Lean can be applied to any operation.
The end result of Lean can never be achieved as the Goal is
the complete elimination of wasted effort and 100% Value Add.
Back to FAQ's...
We have spent a lot of time and effort
on re-engineering our production facility. What will Lean
give us that we don't already have?
There are lots of phrases and terminology that surrounds
manufacturing, processes and consultants. Maybe we should
consider the phrase in question "re engineering and what it
means. "Re" suggests doing something again i.e. 'repairing'.
Lean does not concentrate on 're-doing', 're-building' or
repairing but on "Right First Time". Getting it right first
time means eliminating all the tasks that are adding waste
into the system. Lean will allow you to refine all your existing
process. Firstly by driving to make the operation 'transparent'
and then, secondly, to facilitate the removal of the waste
surrounding the operation. Lean gives higher quality, greater
flexibility and a culture of continuous improvement all at
a lower operating cost.
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We don't have a large budget. How much
will the implementation of Lean cost us?
Lean does not command the costs that are asssociated with
the purchase of capital equipment. Lean is about changing
the way in which people operate and communicate. Team development
and teamwork are coached and developed with the Lean principles
to challenge the traditional top-down management style. Focussing
on the process rather than people and equipment meant that
the costs are kept to a minimun throught the application of
Lean.
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We don't normally us consultants, why should
we change our current policy?
Consultants do have a role to play to accelerate the changes
within any business. It is much easier to understand new principles
if there is an oppportunity for the new techniques to be explained
in detail with practical examples to aid the understanding.
Without external support then the process of Lean can be applied
but with perhaps less efficiency. To have someone 'hand-holding'
then the process is usually easier to understand and roll-out.
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What exactly is 'Kaizen'?
Kaizen is, by definition, the process of continuous improvement
through small sustainable steps. A kaizen approach in isolation
will not bring the benefits of Lean to the organisation. Kaizen
compliments the other tools of Lean and it is part of a whole
rather than a stand-alone process
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Can Lean be applied to the Administration
and Indirect areas of business?
Lean can, and should (must!), be applied to all aspects
of your business. Many companies spend all their time and
effort in the Operations areas of their businesses but there
just as many savings to be made in the office or indirect
based activities. Significant improvements can be made in
these areas with the net effect of reducing costs, improving
quality and productivity.
Although we use the term 'Lean Manufacturing' we might
better refer to the efficiency techniques as 'Lean Systems'
since the principles are equally applicable in any area of
the business.
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How is the effectiveness of the change
to Lean measured?
Before we answer the question directly then we ought to perhaps
think back to the purpose of implementing a Lean system.
Our basic aim is not to implement a 'nice' system but to
save cost and maximise the profitability of the company. The
philosophy and the tools of Lean all help us to realise the
goal in a structured and sustainable manner.
The measures that are generally used are those of productivity
and quality which can then be directly related to cost.
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