Just-in-time Enterprise Institute | Methodologies

Shop Floor Improvements

Functional Area	Conventional Manufacturing	Lean Manufacturing	Value Added

Workers	Managed by supervisors	Empowered to improve process	More satisfied workforce
	Few Individual Responsibilities	High Individual Responsibilities	More challenged workforce

Scheduling	Push the production out the door	Pull required products through production	Increases throughput Continuous flow
	Tasks Production	Authorizes production	Prevents overproduction
	Schedules independent of shop status	Pull dependent on shop status	Prevents obstacles from forming
	Large variety schedule mix	Common design product groups	Reduced production turbulence
	Mass volumes per product	Low volumes per product	Greater production flexibility

Quality	Focus is on defects	Focus is on errors	Prevention is better than rework
	Will catch bad parts at final inspection	Inspected at "every" step Defects stopped at source	Prevents batches of defects
	Prevents escapes	Prevents defects	No value added to defects

Production Volume	Production based	Production strictly equals sales	Make only what's sold No overproduction
	Production "pushed" per forecasted need	Production "pulled" as needed	Lower finished product inventories

Production Mix	Single product at a time	All products evenly produced	Increased production flexibility
	Larger batches are better	Smaller batches are better	Increased quality assurance
	Wide range of products	One-at-a-time is best Products grouped by commonality	Make to order is possible Fewer set-ups/change-overs

Work Force Skills	Expert skills in broad range of functional tasks	Ultra expert in narrow range of tasks	Less skills training required Narrow range allows perfection
	Specialized workers	Flexible workers	Less costly workers

Response to Abnormalities	Use of buffers to smooth production turbulence	Stop production & fix problems	Near Zero defects Lowers inventory costs
	Keep production going at all costs	Stops the line until corrections made	Near Zero obsolescence costs

Equipment Set Ups	Large batches to reduce need	Ultra quick set up to increase flexibility	Quicker set-up/change-over
	Reduced set-up frequency	Reduced set-up duration	Additional production flexibility

Continuous Improvement	Machine efficiency	Process improvement focused	Ties production processes together
	Problem solving by experts	Problem solving by workers	Everyone's an Industrial Engineer Immediate, sustainable corrective actions

Standardized Work	Control from above	Shop floor owns process Current "Best" practices	Operators empowered to improve owned process Always use Best practices

Equipment Maintenance	Repair when it breaks down	Prevent from breaking down	Inventory reduced
	Live off large inventory while repairing	Operator does common service	Preventive maintenance required & enhanced
	Numerous repairers waiting for machine to fail	Repairers focus on PM	Fewer repairers required