Apparel Quality Management

Assignment - 2

Topics: Kanban, JIT, various lean tools and VSM

Documented by:
Kartik Garg
Saloni Yadav
Vedant
Section 1

Kanban

The Kanban(看板) system, developed by Taichi Ohno can achieve minimum inventory to
improve the plant’s productivity and minimizes the waste in production. It works on pull
systems and the concept of delivering just-in-time goods.

Kanban means “visible record” or “visible part”. It’s a signal which is communicated through
Kanban cards. The Kanban system focuses on either a component’s customer pulling the
component from the component’s supplier. The customer can either be a consumer of a finished
product (external) or the personnel at the next station(internal).

The system saves costs by eliminating over production, reducing waiting times, scraps and
wastes and logistics costs, developing flexible work stations which reduces the inventory stock
levels and overhead costs.

For Kanban’s successful implementation system inventory management, quality

improvements and quality control, vendor and supplier participation and employee and
top management commitment, should be considered (Kumar, 2010).

Kanban Cards

A Kanban card sends a signal of the need for material for

initiating the transfer of material from supplier to
production facility. The number of Kanban cards should
be limited because more Kanban in circulation can
cause build-up while less Kanban cards can cause the
cessation of the production process.

Fig 1: (Kanban Card | Hygger Blog)

Withdrawal Card: It brings parts from the preceding process and moves them to the next. It
conveys on when to move; what to move, where to move, and how much to move. It carries the
part name, lot size, process, and name of the preceding and succeeding process location;
container capacity and the number of containers released. (Kanban | Apparel Resources, 2019)

Production Order Card: It conveys information about when to make, what to make and how
much to make. When a product is removed from the store by the use of Withdrawal Kanban
Card, the Production Kanban Card is sent back to replace what has been moved to the customer.
(Kanban | Apparel Resources, 2019)

Rules for Kanban Implementation:

● Never Pass Defective Products: Processes shouldn’t pass the products that do not
meet the quality standards to the next station so that only quality products go to the
customers which lessens waste and decreases customer complaints.
●
● Take only what’s needed: Processes should pull whatever’s necessary which prevents
overproduction, lowers costs, and makes operations more reflective of the demands
of the market.
●
● Produce the exact quantity required: Taking only what one needs would lead to only
producing the exact required quantity of products and will eliminate opportunity
costs from the resources and money spent to build the item, storage costs, and
transportation costs.
●
● Level the Production: Produce the number of items based on the capacity of its
limiting contributor to achieve a steady flow of work and to prevent bottlenecks.
●
● Fine tune the production or process optimisation: After the initialisation, the team
needs to suggest improvement opportunities by examining the work-flow and measuring
the performance. Kanban metrics such as lead time, cycle time, and throughput should
be studied to get a quantitative and objective assessment of their work. A cumulative
flow diagram is used to spot bottlenecks. The points producing waste in the form of
delays, defects, rework, and unnecessary handoffs are identified. As inefficiencies
decrease, work-in-progress items also decrease.
●
● Stabilise and Rationalise the process: After ensuring quality, levelling production,
and optimizing the process, a stability is achieved which enables standardization. The
process is documented so that there is a common shared understanding of how the teams
should operate. Explicit standards provide a strong foundation for the units to operate
with predictability and consistency. Regular team reviews are conducted to fine tune the
process and to make the Kanban system more robust. (Rules for Kanban Implementation |
Kanbanize, n.d.)
Kanban System Implementation:

● Visualize current workflow: The first step is to create a Kanban task board with a
number of columns that represent all stages of work from “to do” to “done”
depending on the stage of their performance.
●
● Applying Work-in-Process limits: WIP is the number of cards in the “Doing” lanes on
the task board. Limiting WIP improves productivity and efficiency as it ensures smooth
handoffs, clear communication, quality work and eliminates the distraction of
context switching.
●
● Making policies explicit: The policies can be a checklist of steps to be taken for each
work item-type, entry-exit criteria and managing the workflow on the board. Examples of
explicit policies include the updation of when a task is completed, the description of
individual columns, who pulls when, etc.
●
● Managing and measuring flow: A Kanban system manages the flow by highlighting the
status of work in each stage. Depending on the workflow and WIP Limits setup, either a
smooth flow within WIP limits or work piling up as something gets held up and starts to
hold up capacity, will be observed. Kanban helps the team analyze the system to improve
flow to reduce the time to complete each piece of work. This process involves observing
work and resolving/ eliminating bottlenecks to look at the intermediate wait or
“handoff stages”.
●
● Feedback Loops: The Kanban Method helps in implementing feedback loops to review
stages in Kanban board workflow, metrics and reports and a range of visual cues to
provide continuous feedback on work progress.
●
● Optimizing iteratively with data: Kanban systems collects system’s performance data –
either manually, if a physical board is used, or automatically, if a digital tool such as
SwiftKanban is used. This data helps in evaluating performance to tweak the system as
per the requirements. (An Overview Of The Kanban Method | Digite, n.d.)

Case Study 1: Production system improvement through kanban application in

labor intensive shoe manufacturing company (Triana and Beatrix, 2019)

This case study focuses on suppressing accumulation of inventory and overproduction through
an efficient process of stock-fitting and assembly in the company of PT. XYZ.

Need for Kanban Implementation: Delivery performance is a critical aspect for a manufacturer
to meet customer requirements and compete in the global market. PT. XYZ encountered a
problem with massive WIP that was causing low delivery performance. The research aimed at
reducing WIP and to cut the lead time of production through the implementation of Kanban
System.

Calculation of Kanban Cards: The number of Kanban cards are determined based on the
following factors:

● Daily Request
● Lot size or capacity per box
● Cycle issue
● Security coefficients

A Kanban system is similar to an inventory control system, which consists of two types: System
fixed order quantity (Q-system) and System set order cycles (P-system).

Methodology: The study aimed to design a system that controls the production flow, Work
Orders in the stock fitting and assembling department with the help of Kanban tools. The data
including query data, setup time, process time data, data routing was calculated.

Production process information flow: PT XYZ performs

the material order process with a supplier where the ordered
goods are as per purchase order which are then received in
the warehouse. A work order for each department is created
starting from a raw material warehouse, upper and outsole
process. Preparation of material is done in the warehouse,
starting from checking the availability and quantity of the
material.

The information required for a production work order system

is included in a master production schedule and production
plans and transportation details are provided to each
department.

Fig 2: Master Production Schedule

Kanban Material flow: It is the proposed pull production system consisting of Kanban
production orders. Kanban in the Outsole Process Line uses Kanban production orders according
to WO prepared by the Production Planning and Inventory Control department (PPIC).

The process of transporting the material to the temporary shelter unit needs to be removed to
directly take the components to their respective workstations. Pickup Kanban is sent from the
material warehouse to the rubber processing part. The Kanban production orders attached to the
components are placed at the receiving post and replaced by Kanban retrieval. Kanban along
with the outcome will be taken to the shelter before entering the assembling department.

Fig 3: Kanban Material Flow

Kanban card poster design assembling department: Kanban post serves as a display for
operators to know the hourly time in and out goods and production activities. Incoming postcards
must be three cards:

● Red card: Upper

● Yellow card: Outsole
● Blue card: Insole

The operator must not perform production if there is no production card at the Kanban post.

Fig 4: Takt Time Data by Department

Kanban Process: Kanban begins with the upper and outsole processes where Kanban
production orders and Kanban pickup of the material is done in the cuttingand hot press
department using a pull system. The work process is done based on the flow of Kanban
materials. The components are sent to the sewing department and collected at temporary shelters
before entering the Assembling department. Outsole from the hot press department is taken to
the stock fitting department from where it is then sent to the goods storage point in front of the
assembling department.

After the completion of upper material, outsole and insole processes, Kanban card is put up at
Kanban post.The material is sent to the warehouse two times a day according to the work order
from PPIC department.

Results: It was found that the production target can still be achieved by the assembling
department if they manufacture 2240 pairs/day with 22-24 number of working days in a month.
Kanban cards can prevent the accumulation of goods on the workstation and materials leading to
overproduction and any working procedure error can be quickly traced.

Case Study 2: Implementation of Kanban to improve production efficiency in

a shirt manufacturing factory (Kumar and Raidu, 2012)

The case study mentions a shirt manufacturing

which follows a push system process.The fabric roll
moves from the store department and undergo
various operations as indicated:

In the current practice, the material was purchased as

per the customer order and then held in the store.
Afterwards, the cutting department takes the fabric
roll for cutting which includes the main parts as well
as the secondary parts like cuff, collar, sleeves etc.

Fig 5: Process flow chart of Fabric Flow

Cutting takes approximately 4 days to cut the components (order of around 2200 shirts). After
this process, the production line collects the cut components and in this process each component
is processed for further operations which takes almost 5 days to finish. Finally, the finished shirts
are sent for checking and inspection and it takes them 4 days to inspect for possible defects,
afterwards shirts are sent for processing and packaging which takes 4 days too.

As per existing system, it takes around 17-18 days to complete an order of 2200 shirts. This push
system requires holding a huge amount of WIP (work-in-process) at each stage of material
flow.
Objective:

● Reduction of WIP at all stages of the fabric flow by the implementation of Kanban cards
to control the proper quantity and proper time of production and delivery.
● To design a new system where raw materials, components and products needed come
whenever required.
● Reduce inventory levels.

Data Collection

The following data was calculated as in-puts from the manager and supervisors based on the lead
time, customer delivery schedule and past experiences:

● Product: Formal Shirt

● Lot size (Customer order): 2000 shirts. From 1 fabric roll (dimensions 20 x 1.5 meters),
10 shirts are produced hence, 2000 shirts require 200 fabric rolls.
● Weight of each Fabric Roll: 3 Kg

Each department needs 5 days to complete the respective individual step of the production for
2000 shirts and then sends the material to the next department.

Fig 6: Data Collection

Production process after Kanban Implementation:

Using Kanban, the pull production system was employed instead of the push production system.
 ● The stores department negotiates with the producers and sets the revised timetable to
deliver 40 fabric rolls for every day. After getting an order for 2000 shirts, withdrawal
kanban-1 is prepared by the packaging office and is sent to the inspection department.
● Withdrawal Kanban (WK) is prepared for 200 shirts per session i.e., 400 shirts for every
day. Inspection division arranges withdrawal kanban-2 for 200 shirts for each meeting
which is then given to the get assembling department.
● The assembling department sends a withdrawal kanban-3 for shirt components which is
moved to the production department.
● Finally the cutting office will plan to withdraw Kanban-5 to stores.
● Stores section supplies the raw materials as mentioned in withdrawal Kanban- 4 to the
cutting department. Cutting department prepares a production order Kanban (POK) to cut
shirt components as mentioned in withdrawal Kanban-4.

The product line will process the components further and transfer them along with the
withdrawal Kanban-3 to the assembly line. Similarly, the assembly department will gather 200
shirts each session and send them with the withdrawal Kanban-2 to the inspection department.
The department of inspection will inspect the garments and send the lot to the department of
packaging. 400 shirts a day will be packed. At every point of the manufacturing process, there is
no job in the machine inventory. In 5 days, 2000 pieces will be made.

Fig 7,8,9: Kanban Flow, Production order Kanban (POK) and withdrawal Kanban (WK)
Results:

The manufacturing time was reduced from 17-18 days to 5 days. Kanban increased the efficiency
as the team pulled tasks when they had the capacity to do so. The departments were able to map
how tasks were moving through the process to spot bottlenecks if they any. It led to waste
elimination by reducing waiting time – idle tasks and large WIP holds.

Just in Time
JIT (Just In Time) is an administration approach which began in Japan during the 1950s. In a JIT
framework, the organization follows a pull system, where the manufacturing or potentially
purchasing begins once the client orders are received, to guarantee zero inventories, i.e.material
is bought and produced only so much and when required.

Fig 10: A pull system

Origin:

JIT is generally acknowledged similar to a concept invented by Taiichi Ohno of Toyota. After
World War 2 the resources were scarce in Japan so utilizing them to make something that wasn’t
needed by the clients was a waste.

On a visit to the US the management group of Toyota were inspired by how a store (Piggly
Wiggly) dealt with their stock. What was eliminated from the racks by the clients was renewed
and requested from providers. In this way the shelves never got empty, and they didn’t wind up
flooding with extra undesired stock.
With a JIT framework each process pulls from the previous interaction's and that process will at
that point work to replenish those racks.

Advantages:

Advantages to Vendor/Supplier/Manufacturer:

● Less inventory storage reduces the need of storage space, thus administration and storage
costs come down.
● Demand in sync with production leads to both less dead inventory and less stock-outs.

Advantages to Buyer/Customer/Retailer:

● Frequent stock turnarounds lead to a better flow of goods from the warehouse to the
shelves.
● Emphasis on building supplier relationships.
● Setup time is reduced considerably.

Challenges:

Implementing JIT is a long process and has many variables that need to be constantly managed
and monitored to ensure success. There are certain challenges faced by every firm that tries to
implement JIT.

● Lack of reliable supplier networks

● Lack of knowledge of immediate financial needs
● Lack of capital
● Lack of bargaining power with suppliers due to small firm size
● Lack of capacity to manage demand fluctuations without inventory

In addition to the above challenges, the fear of the risks involved also prevents organizations to
go for the Just in Time System.Always fearing that something might go wrong, as zero
inventories could potentially stop production, organisations at times dread the idea of
implementing JIT.

Points to be considered before implementing JIT:

● Internal or external supplier

● Supplier reliability
● Risk of ineffective inventory and last moment changes management
● Internal storage
● JIT should be implemented in stages
Implementation:

● Drawing up a plan

Ensure that the business follows a fixed implementation route and also ensure that the
business optimizes itself for just in time – this could be as simple as agreeing on
production plans or as diverse as work cell reorganization to ensure the business
maximizes the potential.

● Communicating Just in time plans to the workforce

Implementing JIT is a big change and requires the participation of the workforce.
Communication should be ensured at every stage of the process, with each individual
involved knowing completely the design and objectives.

● Data Gathering and validate inventory levels

Knowing your inventory well before the start will ensure to get the initial signals to
the supply chain correct.

● Establish a production plan

Establish production plans determining optimum production lot sizes and lead time
needs that can be given through to suppliers.

● Communications with the supply chain

Key to JIT is a well-established relationship with the supply chain. Suppliers must
have the ability to ship to schedule against requirements. A process should be
established for reviewing and resolving issues that come up to ensure that supply
remains constant.

● Establish a material signaling process

Kanban can be considered to act as a signal for material replenishment.

● Document processes and train Staff

Ensure that the JIT plan is well documented and that processes are known by all
participants. Staff should be trained ensuring that initial training is regularly topped
up with refresher training during the launch. Monitor the performance of the JIT
program and consider effective training where bottlenecks are formed.
CASE STUDY 1: Implementation of JIT to increase productivity in the
sewing section of a garment industry( Israt Parveen, Md. Arif Mia, Md. Sujan Ali,
Khandoker Rafsun-Ul-Hasan, Md. Moshiur Rahman, Md. Iqbal Mahmud* and Haeng Muk Cho,
2019,)

Implementation of JIT to increase productivity in sewing section of a garment industry

Objective:

The primary objective of this study is to identify the defects in sewing sections that affect the
overall productivity of the garment industry in Bangladesh and find out how to reduce those
defects in the sewing line by implementing Just-in-Time (JIT) techniques.

Introduction:

As labor wage is increasing in certain countries, apparel manufacturing companies are shifting
from high wage countries to low wage developing countries. Apart from this, all companies are
trying to eliminate waste and excessive costs. This is where JIT comes in, if properly maintained,
it will serve the purpose of flexibility and save a lot of money by reducing production lead time,
reducing inventory, increasing productivity, and training operators.

Methodology:

● Eliminating waste: Attempting to eliminate sources of manufacturing waste by producing

the right part in the right place at the right time. In the manufacturing process size of
batches can lead to potential errors in part/production, i.e., smaller batches such as that
used in JIT systems would potentially reduce the average error per part/production
population.
● JIT Distribution: JIT’s effectiveness depends majorly on having a strategic alliance
between buyers and suppliers. JIT distribution requires the exchange of frequent, small
lots of items between suppliers and customers, and must have an effective transportation
management system, because inbound and outbound material can have a great effect on
production when there is no buffer inventory.
● Implementation of JIT in sewing line basically explains (a) Reduction of waste of
motion; (b) Reduction of waste in waiting time; (c) Reduction of waste of inventory; (d)
Reduction of waste of defects.

Traditional Plan Layout:

 Fig 11: Traditional Plan Layout

Areas where improvements should be made:

● Multi-tasking
● Using help (front-back match, body-sleeve match)
● Thread trimming
● Bundle wise flow
● Use of guides
● Bundle pickup, dispatch and arrangement
● Job sharing practices

Data Findings:
 Fig 12: Before implementing JIT

Fig 13: After Implementing JIT

 Ways of reducing WIP:

● Proper job distribution and line balancing: Without proper work balance & line balance a
bottleneck will be created resulting in increased WIP.
● Bundling system: Target should be to keep the bundle size in accordance to the need,
which will be helpful for maintaining WIP minimum quantity level.
● Bundle flows: A fixed amount of bundles should be maintained from start to end. It helps
in controlling line WIP, identifying the bottleneck process, and balancing the line.
● Implementing a traffic light system: The purpose of this system is to identify quality
problems within the needlepoint and to immediately give remedies to stop it from
recurring.

Fig 14 : Traffic Light system

Results:

Production capacity calculation:

Before JIT implementation,

Production capacity per hour (in pcs) = (Total man power × working hour × 60)/SMV × Line
efficiency%

= (25 x 1 x 60 x 61%) / 6.29

= 145.4689 Pcs

Approx. 146 Pcs

So, Production Capacity per shift (in pcs) = (146 × 8) Pcs

= 1168 Pcs

After JIT implementation,

Production capacity per hour (in pcs) = )Total man power × working hour × 60)/SMV × Line
efficiency%

= (25 x 1 x 60 x 61%) / 5.75

= 159.1304 Pcs

Approx. 160 Pcs

So, Production Capacity per shift (in pcs) = (160 × 8) Pcs

= 1280 Pcs

Which means, Increased production per shift (in pcs) = (1280 – 1168) Pcs

= 112 Pcs

After calculation, Production capacity per shift is 1168 pcs and after JIT implementation
production capacity per shift is 1280 Pcs and production per shift increased by 112 Pcs.

Line target calculation:

Before JIT implementation:

Line Target per hour = (Total man power x Working hour x 60)/SMV

= (25 x 1 x 60) / (6.29)

= 238.4738 Pcs

Approx. 239 Pcs

Line Target per shift = (239 × 8) Pcs

= 1912 Pcs

After JIT implementation:

Line Target per hour = (Total man power x Working hour x 60)/SMV

= (25 x 1 x 60) / (5.75)

= 260.8696

Approx. 261 Pcs

Line Target per shift = (261 × 8) Pcs

= 2088 Pcs

So, Increased line target per shift = (2088 – 1912) Pcs

= 176 Pcs

Before JIT implementation the line target was 1912 Pcs and after JIT implementation the line
target became 2088 pcs. Line target per shift increases by 176 Pcs.

Line efficiency calculation:

Before JIT implementation-

Line Efficiency per hour (%) = (Total production x SMV x 100) / (Total man power x working
hour x 60)

= (146 x 6.29 x 100) / (25 x 1 x 60)

= 61.22%

After JIT implementation-

Line Efficiency per hour (%) = (Total production x SMV x 100) / (Total man power x working
hour x 60)

= (160 x 5.75 x 100) / (25 x 1 x 60)

= 61.33%

So, Increased Line Efficiency per hour (%) = (61.33-61.22) %

= 0.11%
Before JIT implementation the Line efficiency per hour was 61.22% and after JIT
implementation the line efficiency became 61.33 %. Line efficiency per hour increased by
0.11%.

Line performance calculation:

Before JIT implementation-

Line Performance per hour (%) = (Line Output × 100) /Line Target

= 146 × 100 / 239

= 61.0878

Approx. 61.09%

After JIT implementation-

Line Performance per hour (%) = (Line Output × 100) /Line Target

= 160 × 100 / 261

= 61.3027

Approx. 61.30%

∴ Increased Line Performance per hour (%) = (61.30 – 61.09) %

= 0.21%

Before JIT implementation Line Performance was 61.09% and after JIT implementation Line
Performance became 61.30%. The increased Line Performance per hour was 0.21%.

Column chart for comparison of production capacity:

 Fig 15: Production capacity before and after JIT implementation.

Column chart for comparison of line target:

Fig 16 : Line target before and after JIT implementation.

Column chart for comparison of line efficiency:

Fig 17 : Line efficiency before and after JIT implementation.

Column chart for comparison of line performance:

 Fig 18 : Comparison of Line Performance

Conclusion:

In this case study, Production Capacity per shift (in pcs) was found to be 1168, line efficiency
61.22% which showed huge opportunities for improvement in those areas. It started with a 5
pieces bundling system in the sewing section and then following up the line regularly and
capacity study from time to time. After implementation of team work, process integration, job
sharing, multi machine operating and balancing the task, eliminating unnecessary activities, the
team achieved 61.33%-line efficiency, and Production capacity per shift (in pieces) 1280.
Besides defects, WIP, transportation was also found to be reduced in comparison to the old
system.

CASE STUDY 2: A Case Study of Just-In-Time System in Service Industry

(Atul Aradhye, Shrikant Kallurkar, 2014, Procedia Engineering)

A Case Study of Just-In-Time System in Service Industry

Background:

Waiting and queuing problems are one of the most common problems found not only in daily-life
situations such as at a restaurant, public transport, bank etc., but also in more technical
environments such as in production, computer networking and telecommunications. It means that
customer satisfaction could be increased by decreasing the waiting time.

This paper talks about an approach to reduce waiting time of pilgrim at Pandharpur, an
important pilgrimage center in India. This center is located at the bank of holy river Bhima and is
popularly known as Dakshin Kashi. It is considered to be the abode of Lord Vishnu in the form
of Vitthal. This center attracts a large number of visitors (16 million a year) from all over the
country irrespective of their caste, religion, belief, social status and professional affiliation.

Need of research:
It is said that long queues in any service is an indicator of poor quality. The average workload of
an average person has increased and since people cannot afford to wait too long they may leave
the queue prematurely and this in turn results in customer dissatisfaction.

Problem Definition:

The major purpose for visiting Pandharpur in the pilgrimage period is Darshan. The output per
day is fixed and is a sum of the processing rate and the darshan duration available. The average
processing rate of 40 pilgrims per minute calculates to 2,400 pilgrims an hour. During the
pilgrimage period, darshan may be kept open for a time of 14.5 hours. This would provide a
processing capacity of 34,800 per day. The output rate is constant and the arrival process is
random. When the number of arrivals per hour is more than 2400, waiting increases. The actual
waiting time is proportional to the number of pilgrims in the queue. The waiting duration in
hours is the number of pilgrims in the queue divided by an hourly output of 2400. The waiting
time in the system would decrease proportionately if the arrival rate is less than 2400 per hour.

An average pilgrim doesn’t know how long it will take him/her to reach the front deity, how
many people are ahead and should there be an interruption in service (why and how long).
Because of the great privilege and tolerance required in undertaking such pilgrimages, the
pilgrims undergo the excessive and unexplained delay.

Pilgrim’s average waiting time of darshan can vary from 1 hour to 5 hours on regular days. And
it may increase up to 24 hours in the pilgrimage period.

Results:

A software based program is uploaded on the official site of Shree Vitthal Rukmini Mandir
Samity, Pandharpur. The slots were provided day wise and at a frequency of two hours. The
darshan rate is 2400 pilgrims per hour. As this system was new and the pilgrims are mostly from
rural areas, only 500 bookings were opened within two hours. The number of JIT bookings per
hour are expected to increase in future.
 Fig 19: Average waiting time before and after implementation of JIT

The waiting period for the pilgrims was reduced by almost seven hours by using the JIT system.
The figure above shows the average waiting time in hours per pilgrim for darshan day wise. The
pilgrims chose the date and time according to their availability. Pilgrims registered through the
website. After successful registration, a ticket was given indicating Name, Place of living, Date
and time of Darshan, making the pilgrim book his/her time of darshan.

The following table indicates the date at which JIT darshan facility was made available and
accordingly the number of pilgrims booked their names. It also shows the total number of
pilgrims took darshan on that day.

Fig 20: Date wise number of pilgrims

 Fig 21: Number of pilgrims through JIT and Physical queues

Conclusion:

The case study was done during the pilgrimage period. During this period, the average waiting
period of the pilgrims, who took darshan in the physical queue was recorded as 8 hours whereas
it is about 30 minutes for those who used the Just In Time facility. It clearly indicates that the
waiting period was reduced by ‘Just In Time’. Moreover the pilgrims were able to book their
return journey tickets prior to darshan as they were aware about the exact time of darshan.
Bibliography
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sewing section of a garment industry,
 Section 2
S.No Name of Definition Steps of Implementation
Lean Tool
1. 5S The 5S system is a lean 1) Sort: Remove
manufacturing tool that unnecessary items from
improves workplace each area
efficiency and eliminates 2) Set in Order: Organize
waste and identify storage for
efficient use
3) Shine: Clean and
inspect each area regularly
4) Standardize:
Incorporate 5S into
standard operating
procedures
5) Sustain: Assign
responsibility, track
progress, and continue the
cycle
2. Andon Visual feedback system 1) Educate employees
for the plant floor that about Andon’s needs and
indicates production set expectations.
status, alerts when 2) Observe and improve
assistance is needed, and processes
empowers operators to 3) Get the necessary parts
stop the production 4) Implementation
process.
3. Bottleneck Identify which part of 1) Creating a flowchart to
Analysis the manufacturing document every process
process limits the overall step and assess the time it
throughput and improve takes to complete it versus
the performance of that the time it should take
part of the process. 2) Identifying the
bottleneck and determining
its impact on the overall
process
3) Set a Quality
Improvement team to test
solutions for removing the
bottleneck.
4. Continuous Manufacturing where 1) layout the process for
Flow work-in-process continuous flow
smoothly flows through 2) introduce Standard
production with minimal Work to document the best
(or no) buffers between practices known and train
steps of the workers to use the same
manufacturing process. best practices
Advantages
1) Clean work place =
Improves workplace safety
= Fewer hazards
2) Reduced equipment
breakdowns
3) Improvement of
communication
4) Increased floor space =
Decrease in flow distance
5) Increase in productivity
= Greater efficiency in
achieving goals
6) Better and constant
quality of products,
services
1) Control the production
2) Operators have the
ability to ‘stop call wait’
3) Defect reportability &
correction can be made
4) Identifies safety and
body stress concerns
5) Increase OEE
1) Waste Reduction in the
factory
2) Improved knowledge
about the processes
3) Better decision making
1) Time and energy is
saved
2) Process is streamlined.
3) Product quality and
inconsistency is an issue.
Disadvantages
1) Resistance to change
·
2) Lack of management
support
3) Not addressing
problems in the
workplace
4) May not be suitable
if there are serious
constraints to
performance.
5) If not understood
properly, it may
backfire.
1) Signals need to be
interpreted
2) Can be hard to see
3) Doesn’t solve
abnormalities
4) Doesn’t remove the
need for rectification
-
1) customization is hard
to achieve
2) Scheduling
maintenance is difficult.
3) Risk of fault may
lead to shutdown of
entire line
 3) Implementing Key
Performance Indicators is
a vital tool to sustain
improvements and
continuously get better.

5. Gemba A philosophy that 1) Prepare the team
reminds us to get out of 2) Have a plan
our offices and spend 3) Follow the Value
time on the plant floor – Stream
the place where real 4) Always Focus on
action occurs. Process, Not People
5) Document Your
Observations
6) Ask Questions
7) Setup Walk in Teams
8) Follow-up with
Employees
1) Seeing REALITY 1) If there's not trust,
rather than relying on what employees might feel
people say about their “watched” or “policed”
work
2) Building trust with 2) It might be awkward
employees, as they see that or uncomfortable to
you see the problems they observe when
are facing (and are not employees are present
blaming them for the
waste) 3) When you observe
3) The opportunity to get you might see a limited
staff feedback and patient snapshot of time
feedback about what could
or should be done better
4) Making sure the
definition of “value” is
aligned to customer /
patient needs.

6. Heijunka A form of production 1) Calculate takt time 1) Flexibility to produce -

scheduling that 2) Calculate pitch of each what the customer wants
purposely manufactures product when they want it.
in much smaller batches 3) Establish the production 2) Reduced inventory of
by sequencing (mixing) rate unsold goods.
product variants within 4) Create a Heijunka box. 3) Balanced use of labor
the same process. and machines.
4) Predictable demand on
the upstream processes
and suppliers.
5) Reduced Lead times

7. Hoshin Align the goals of the 1) Define "true north" that
Kanri company (Strategy), will stay fairly consistent
with the plans of middle over time
management (Tactics) 2) Identify significant
and the work performed business issues that need to
on the plant floor be solved over a 3 to
(Action). 5-year timeline
3) Establish specific
measurable objectives to
resolve these issues
4) Define key performance
indicators (KPIs) for every
level of the organization
5) Develop strategies,
projects, and tactics to
support the achievement of
these goals
1) Focuses on Action, and
not just numbers
2) Improved
Organizational Alignment
3) Increased Ownership
and Engagement
4) Easier Decision Making
and More Consensus
5) Widespread awareness
6) Solution orientated
process
1) If used as a
transactional planning
technique it can turn on
the management team
by creating further
frustration,
demotivation, and
disengagement
2) Due to
cross-functional
communication, turf
war may happen.
 6) Review progress on a
monthly and annual basis
8. Jidoka Design equipment to 1) Discover an
partially automate the abnormality
manufacturing process 2) Stop the production
(partial automation is process
typically much less 3) Fix the immediate
expensive than full problem
automation) and to 4) Investigate and correct
automatically stop when root cause
defects are detected.
9. Just in Pull parts through 1) Eliminating different
Time production based on types of waste in the
customer demand factory.
instead of pushing parts 2) Good housekeeping that
through production signifies workplace
based on projected cleanliness and the overall
demand. Relies on many organization.
lean tools, such as 3) Set-up time reduction
Continuous Flow, that increases flexibility
Heijunka, Kanban, and allows smaller product
Standardized Work and batches. Ideal batch size is
Takt Time. 1item.
4) Multi-process handling
is a multi-skilled
workforce that generates
greater productivity levels,
flexibility, and job
satisfaction.
5) Leveled and mixed
production that smoothens
the flow of products
through the entire factory.
10. Kaizen A strategy where 1) Identify an opportunity
employees work together 2) Analyze the process
proactively to achieve 3) Develop an optimal
continuous, incremental solution
improvements in the 4) Implement the solution
manufacturing process. 5) Study the results
6) Standardize the solution
7) Plan for the future
11. Kanban A method of regulating 1) Visualize your current
the flow of goods both workflow.
within the factory and 2) Apply Work-in-Process
with outside suppliers (WIP) limits.
1) It is an effective tool in
the CIP toolbox that helps
root out problems and then
resolve them quickly.
2) Workers can frequently
monitor multiple stations
(reducing labor costs) and
many quality issues can be
detected immediately
(improving quality).
3) This approach also
looks after machinery,
which is exposed to
unnecessary stress when
defects go undetected.
1) Less space needed
2) Waste Reduction
3) Smaller Investments
4) Money Saving
1) Improved Teamwork.
2) Build leadership skills.
3) improves efficiency
4) improves standard work
document
5) improves employee
satisfaction
6) better safety
1) Simple and easy to
understand and implement.
2) Reduction in costs and
wastage in the factory.
Jidoka appears
detrimental to
productivity, as it
interrupts production.
1) Risk of running out
of stock
2) More planning
required
3) Lack of control over
time frame
4) Producing company
rarely has any extra
stock on hand to fill
unexpected orders
1) Difficult to
implement in existing
systems
2) Change is difficult
3) Can cause frictions
4) Training is required.
5) Enthusiasm can
wane easily.
1) Kanban cannot be
used as an independent
tool.
2) Prediction of specific
 and customers, based on 3) Make policies explicit. 3) Kanban system timelines for
automatic replenishment 4) Manage and measure advocates continuous and completion of tasks or
through signal cards that flow. sustainable improvements activities becomes
indicate when more 5) Optimize iteratively in the production systems difficult.
goods are needed. with data. of the company. 3) Kanban is not
4) Kanban system is a very suitable for
responsive system and environments that are
does not promote any lags dynamic in nature.
or delays. 4) Will become very
difficult to apply if too
much activities or tasks
are interrelated in a
system.

12. KPIs Metrics designed to 1) Get very clear about 1) Are aligned with 1) They need time.
track and encourage what a KPI or performance top-level strategic goals 2) Have a high learning
progress towards critical measure truly is, and isn’t. (thus helping to achieve curve.
goals of the 2) Evaluate your existing those goals)
organization. Strongly KPIs and performance
promoted KPIs can be measures to decide what to 2) Are effective at
extremely powerful keep and what to cull. exposing and quantifying
drivers of behavior – so 3) Make sure your goals waste (OEE is a good
it is important to are measurable before you example)
carefully select KPIs that develop performance 3) Are readily influenced
will drive desired measures. by plant floor employees
behavior. 4) Build buy-in among the (so they can drive results)
people who you need to
support the KPIs.

13. Muda Anything in the 1) Make waste visible. It doesn’t. Muda means -
(Waste) manufacturing process 2) Be conscious of the ‘waste’. The elimination
that does not add value waste. of muda (waste) is the
from the customer’s 3) Be accountable for the primary focus of lean
perspective. waste. manufacturing.
4) Measure the waste.
5) Eliminate or reduce the
waste

14. OEE Framework for 1) Provides a 1) Isn't directly linked

measuring productivity benchmark/baseline and a
loss for a given means to track progress in
manufacturing process. eliminating waste from a
manufacturing process.
Three categories of loss 2) Increased process
are tracked: quality.
3) Get the best
1) Availability (e.g. performance from
downtime) machinery.
4) Reduce machinery
2) Performance (e.g. repair costs.
slow cycles) 5) Starting point of digital
3) Quality (e.g. rejects) factory
to profitability.
2) OEE isn't
multi-dimensional
enough for monitoring
performance outside of
manufacturing
3) Accuracy depends
on how it is calculated.

15. PDCA An iterative Plan (establish plan and 1) Can be helpful in all 1) The unspecific
 methodology for expected results) situations definition can lead to
implementing 2) Simple assembly incorrect use.
improvements. It is a Do (implement plan) requires little instruction 2) Changes must be
four-step model for Check (verify expected 3) The cyclical idea planned over longer
carrying out change. Just results achieved) invites constant periods of time.
as a circle has no end, improvement 3) One reacts
the PDCA cycle should Act (review and assess; do 4) The iterative approach considering everything
be repeated again and it again) allows control and analysis and rarely acts
again for continuous proactively
improvement.

16. Poka-Yoke Poka-Yoke literally 1) Identify the root cause 1) Can be implemented 1) A poorly designed
translates as 2) Outline the full process anywhere. Poka-Yoke may not
“mistake-proofing.” The 3) Identify options 2) You can carry out steps work 100% of the time.
logic behind a 4) Choose poka yoke in a process, knowing that 2) Some types of
Poka-Yoke is that if we mechanism you will get it right. Poka-Yoke appear to be
don’t make a mistake in 5) Implementation and 3) Cheap implementation useful but create
the first place then we testing 4) helps avoid relying on unintended effects.
don’t have to spend time 6) Train others human input. 3) May reduce
and money fixing that 5) Right first time. efficiency.
mistake.

17. Root Cause A problem solving 1. Define the problem.
Analysis methodology that 2. Collect data.
focuses on resolving the 3. Ask why. This means
underlying problem determining the factors
instead of applying that led to the problem.
quick fixes that only 4. Determine which factors
treat immediate are root causes and not just
symptoms of the symptoms.
problem. A common 5. Identify corrective
approach is to ask why actions.
five times – each time 6. Identify solutions that
moving a step closer to will help the problem from
discovering the true recurring and do not cause
underlying problem. other problems.
7. Implement the solution.
8. Determine if you can
use this solution with other
problems.
1) By identifying the root
cause, one can find a
permanent solution.
2) It helps in developing a
logical approach to solving
problems.
3) Once a defect is
determined, we can
identify current needs as
well as future needs for
improvement of
organization and system.
4) Helps in establishing
repeatable and appropriate
step-by-step processes.
1) It assumes and
focuses on only one
root cause of defect.
But in reality, the
situation can be more
complex.
2) Organizations use
RCA only to identify
negative things that are
happening in the
organization. RCA can
also be used to identify
good things that are
happening in an
organization.

18. SMED SMED (Single-Minute 1) Identify pilot area 1) Lower manufacturing 1) No detailed
Exchange of Dies) is a 2) Identify elements cost (faster changeovers guideline in transferring
system for dramatically 3) Separate external mean less equipment internal activities to
reducing the time it takes elements downtime) external activities
to complete equipment 4) Convert internal 2) Smaller lot sizes (faster 2) Lack of detailed
changeovers. elements to external. changeovers enable more process concerning the
5) Streamline remaining frequent product changes) standardization
The essence of the elements. 3) Improved
SMED system is to responsiveness to
convert as many customer demand (smaller
changeover steps as lot sizes enable more
possible to “external” flexible scheduling)
(performed while the 4) Lower inventory levels
equipment is running), (smaller lot sizes result in
 and to simplify and lower inventory levels)
streamline the remaining 5) Smoother startups
steps. (standardized changeover
processes improve
consistency and quality)

19. Six big Six categories of 1) Collect information on 1) Provides a framework -

losses productivity loss that are all the losses happening for attacking the most
almost universally 2) Plan a structured review common causes of waste
experienced in which helps in decision in manufacturing.
manufacturing: making. 2) A very well-aligned to
1) Breakdowns 3) Take effective actions. discrete manufacturing
2) Setup/Adjustments and provide a more
3) Small Stops detailed perspective on
4) Reduced Speed equipment loss than OEE.
5) Startup Rejects
6) Production Rejects

20. SMART Goals that are: Specific, 1) Commit to achieving
goals Measurable, Attainable, the goal.
Relevant, and 2) Understand why it is
Time-Specific. important to have goals.
3) Create SMART goals.
4) Break down the goal
into tasks.
5) Set a time frame
6) Assess and reassess
Helps to ensure that goals 1) No importance to
are effective. other tasks
2) Lots of pressure
3) Different
interpretations by
different people.

21. TPM Total Productive 1) Equipment history and 1) Less unplanned 1) It is considered a
Maintenance is a performance analysis maintenance time-consuming
prescribed set of 2) Calculate OEE 2) Reduced Equipment process that is a
methods designed for 3) Asses the six big losses downtime challenge to implement
sustaining a and set priorities 3) Lower manufacturing 2) The method of total
manufacturing system in 4) Critical Assessment costs productive maintenance
peak operating condition 5) Cleanup and condition 4) Strengthened workplace is expensive and every
to eliminate waste appraisal safety company cannot afford
caused by equipment 6) Planned refurbishment to implement it in their
and process failures. 7) Develop asset care workplace
TPM seeks to increase 8) Best practise routines
Overall Equipment and standards
Effectiveness (OEE) by 9) Problem Prevention
eliminating the 6 big
losses;Equipment
Failures, Setups and
Adjustment, Idling and
Minor Stops, Reduced
Speed, Quality Losses,
Process Defects and
Reduced Yield

22. Takt Time The pace of production 1) Calculate the production 1) Bottlenecks are quicker 1) It only takes one
that aligns production time available for the to identify. station to halt the
with customer demand. entire order. 2) Faster to locate production of an entire
 Calculated as Planned 2) Divide this value by the
Production Time / number of
Customer Demand. pieces/products/units to be
manufactured.
underperforming stations line
in a production line 2) Short takt time can
3) Production lines are increase the likelihood
stripped of waste as of injury and machine
manufacturers focus on breakdowns.
value added work 3) Takt does not take
4) Takt instills routine into account
functions on the unpredictable variables
production line, enabling such as bathroom
operators to work faster breaks or reset periods
and produce more output between units.

Bibliography:

● Asq.org. 2021. 5S - What are The Five S’s of Lean? | ASQ. [online] Available at:
<https://asq.org/quality-resources/lean/five-s-tutorial> [Accessed 22 April 2021].
● Leanproduction.com. 2018. Top 25 Lean Manufacturing Tools | Lean Production. [online]
Available at: <https://www.leanproduction.com/top-25-lean-tools.html> [Accessed 22 April
2021].
● Lean Six Sigma Online Certification & Training at Purdue University. 2021. Lean Tools and
Principles and Their Applications. [online] Available at:
<https://www.purdue.edu/leansixsigmaonline/blog/lean-tools/> [Accessed 19 April 2021].
● Technologies, H., 2021. 35 Lean Manufacturing Tools: The Ultimate List. [online]
Resources.hartford technologies.com. Available at:
<http://resources.hartfordtechnologies.com/blog/the-ultimate-list-of-lean-manufacturing-tools>
[Accessed 25 April 2021].
● Kanban Software for Agile Project Management. 2021. What is the Poka Yoke Technique?.
[online] Available at:
<https://kanbanize.com/lean-management/improvement/what-is-poka-yoke> [Accessed 25 April
2021].
● Leanproduction.com. 2021. TPM Improves Equipment Effectiveness | Lean Production. [online]
Available at: <https://www.leanproduction.com/tpm.html> [Accessed 23 April 2021].
● Mounnidin, K., 2019. Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED). [online] Process Excellence
Network. Available at:
<https://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/business-process-management-bpm/articles/single-
minute-exchange-of-dies-smed> [Accessed 22 April 2021].
● Asq.org. 2019. What is Root Cause Analysis (RCA)? | ASQ. [online] Available at:
<https://asq.org/quality-resources/root-cause-analysis> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
Section 3:

Value Stream Mapping

Value stream mapping (VSM) also known as ‘material and information flow mapping’ is defined
as a lean tool that employs a flowchart documenting every step in the process.

Purpose: Many lean practitioners see VSM as a fundamental tool to identify waste, reduce
process cycle times, and implement process improvement.
VSM is a workplace efficiency tool designed to combine material processing steps with
information flow, along with other important related data. VSM is an essential lean tool for an
organization wanting to plan, implement, and improve while on its lean journey. VSM helps
users create a solid implementation plan that will maximize their available resources and help
ensure that materials and time are used efficiently.

Monden (1994) identifies three types of waste removal operations:

1. Non-value adding operations (NVA): actions that should be eliminated, such as
waiting, double handling
2. Necessary but non-value adding (NNVA): actions that are wasteful but
necessary under current operating procedures. It is impossible to eliminate them
completely.
3. Value-adding (VA): conversion or processing of raw materials via manual labor.

Method/ Process

There are two kinds of value stream maps, current state and future state. The current state
value stream map is used to determine what the process currently looks like, the future state
value stream map focuses on what the process will ideally look like after process improvements
have occurred to the value stream.
The current state value stream map must be created before the future state map and is created by
observing the process and tracking the information and material flow.

Step 1: Form a team to create the value stream map.

Form a cross-functional team of high-level managers and supervisors from throughout your
company. The ideal size for a team is 10 members

Step 2: Kaizen Kick-Off VSM planning:

Hold a three day kaizen event where the team determines the process family, draws the current
state map, determines and draws future state map and drafts an execution plan.

Step 3: Create a matrix to determine the process family

Step 4: Identify Similarities

Examine the matrix and look for sections that have similar or identical processing steps
Step 5: Creating the current state map
Collect the data and information by "walking the flow" and interviewing the people who perform
the task

When your team is "walking the flow," gather information on: Cycle time or processing time,
Changeover time, Reliability of equipment, First pass yield, Quantities, Number of operators and
shifts, Hard copy information, Electronic information, Inventory levels and Queue or waiting
times

Step 6: Creating the future state map

While creating the future state map, ask yourself questions like: what is the appropriate takt time,
are there bottlenecks, where can inventory be reduced, where can the workflow be improved,
other improvements etc

Bibliography:
● Asq.org. 2021. Value Stream Mapping Tutorial - What is VSM? | ASQ. [online] Available at:
<https://asq.org/quality-resources/lean/value-stream-mapping> [Accessed 22 April 2021].
● Kanban Software for Agile Project Management. 2021. What Is Value Stream Mapping?
Definition and Details. [online] Available at:
<https://kanbanize.com/lean-management/value-waste/value-stream-mapping> [Accessed 22
April 2021].
● Lucidchart. 2021. What is Value Stream Mapping. [online] Available at:
<https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/value-stream-mapping> [Accessed 20 April 2021].