Lean Consulting Options

Business Improvement Group, LLC

Product Brochure and Company Information

Lean Implementation Offerings

Discussion - There are basically two approaches to lean implementations:

 

Option 1 – Shingo/Ohno Type Lean System (Kaikaku) Implementations

Shingo/Ohno Based Implementations - This approach begins with your team attending our five-day training program. We then have the team work with one of our consultants over a six to twelve week implementation at your site, as discussed above. The consultant may not have to be on site during the entire implementation, however, it is recommended.

 

Methods of Operation

Typically, each implementation begins providing an overview of lean manufacturing principles and our unique (non-kaizen event) style implementation approach. This training overview is presented to the senior leadership team in order to provide a pull for resourcing. This overview, one day and up to 5 days in length, provides a basic understanding of the lean principles and tools. It is further designed to prove, through videotaped, “before and after “world class examples, the significant improvements realized in productivity and profitability. The goal of the session is to secure an unwavering commitment from the Senior Leadership to provide the necessary resources to support the initiative.

We hold a follow up meeting with the leadership to:

  • Create an implementation strategy and plan. We have a very detailed implementation process map to use a guide through this process

  • Resource the plan, including back-fills

  • Review lessons learned from past implementations

  • Share results of an initial fact finding walkthrough

  • Select a pilot area

  • Select a pilot team

 

The pilot team will attend a five-day training class, which is tailored to the client based on the fact-finding and utilizing videotapes from the client’s operations. This class integrates lean principles with Total Quality, Six Sigma, Team Building, and Customer Excellence Criteria.

 

The pilot team will then conduct a detailed audit of the line, and with the aid of a software package, thoroughly analyze and document the line’s condition and identify and prioritize opportunities to reduce waste and make improvements. The team will then compile this information and create a set of process and industrial engineering standards by which to run the line. This effort is integrated and balanced with the principle entitled “Respect for Humanity”. The principle is utilized to ensure operator safety with a focus on making the operator’s job “easier”. Once the shop floor implementations are complete we move through the value stream from Customer to the Supply Chain.

 

This approach requires the mentoring of a full time consultant to assist the teams in walking through this process. A non-complex line can be completed in six to twelve weeks at which time the team will have a good grasp of the tools and will grow less dependent on the consultant.

 

Benefits of This Approach

First and foremost this approach has a solid history of producing real and documented improvements in a broad range of environments. Improvements have resulted in:

  • Increased output and decreased labor content, improving product costing
  • Decreased work  in process inventory and corresponding increase in cash
  • Decreased scrap and rework leading to improved quality
  • Decreased production through put and cycle time enabling JIT deliveries without large Finished Goods inventories
  • Decreased over time resulting in better work/ life balance for associates
  • Trade freed up floor space for room to grow
  • Improved product costing with potential for “premiums” or discounting strategies

 

This approach concentrates on the fundamentals and forces you to review your manufacturing operations in a very unique and in depth manor. It provides a standardized and systematic method to analyze and document:

 

  • % of time value added to the product
  • % of time value added by the operator
  • application of group technology techniques
  • fundamental process engineering information
  • performance of assembly line operations
  • performance of cellular manufacturing operations
  • accurate finite capacity of operations
  • methods of equipment changeover
  • low cost high benefit improvements

 

Finally, these capabilities and benefits can be clearly demonstrated through video tapes and hard documentation from all implementations to date.



Option 2 - Kaizen Events

  1. Kaizen event implementations. We have found these to be ineffective for converting lines from batch to one-piece flow. We have found them to be very effective to create a management awareness of the power of teams unleashed to make improvements. Kaizens are also a great continuous improvement and sustaining tool once a line has been converted to one-piece flow. (See Kaizen Events Below)

 

  • Course Length: One to Five Days             
  • Course Content: Typically one day of training followed by “you do it” on the shop floor.   
  • Course Fee: See price list
  • Course must be tailored to the company
  • Max Participants: 8         
  • Course Description: One-day overview training geared to a specific opportunity for improvement. Team makes a presentation to the Senior Leadership Team the morning of the last day of the event showing accomplishments and any actions (not more than 2 or 3) that must be completed within a one week period. These events are great for some admin type processes, setup reductions, mistake proofing, Five S, TPM etc.    
  • Who should attend?: Cross functional teams, including operators
  • Purpose: Quick data driven hits on small problems. Great for discovering and attacking common cause type problems.
  • Benefits: Various based on problem and team selected as well as management support

In both cases our goal is to transfer as much knowledge as possible in order to make your company self-sufficient.