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FAQ
INTRODUCTION
Have a question?
Feel free to give us a call.
GETTING STARTED
How should I get started with lean manufacturing?
A good place to start your lean manufacturing journey is with TPM, OEE and the Six
Big Losses.
THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS
Where should we focus our improvement efforts?
A common problem in manufacturing improvement programs is deciding where to
focus resources. Should all equipment be improved? Should the improvement focus
be on Downtime? Setup? Slow Cycles? Small Stops? Quality?
The answer to both sets of questions is the same – focus on the manufacturing
constraint (the bottleneck).
The concept of “the constraint” was introduced by Eli Goldratt in his 1984 novel The
Goal. Dr. Goldratt described how every complex system, including manufacturing
processes, consists of multiple linked activities, one of which acts as a constraint
upon the entire system. The constraint should be improved until it no longer limits
production, at which point the next constraint should be identified. Over time, Dr.
Goldratt developed these concepts into a comprehensive set of tools known as the
Theory of Constraints.
Bottom line – measure OEE AND focus improvement efforts on the constraint. The
constraint is the fulcrum (i.e., point of leverage) for the entire process. Focusing
improvement efforts on the constraint ensures optimal use of resources and is the
fastest route to improved productivity and profitability.
A part is rejected BEFORE the constraint but DOES NOT slow or stop the
constraint (because there is excess capacity before the constraint). From
the perspective of the constraint there is no OEE Loss.
A part is rejected BEFORE the constraint and DOES slow or stop the
constraint (because there is not enough capacity before the constraint to
cover the lost time). From the perspective of the constraint there is no OEE
Quality Loss because the constraint has not yet processed the part,
however, there is an OEE Performance Loss or OEE Availability Loss
(because the constraint is momentarily STARVED).
A part is rejected AT the constraint, which DOES affect the constraint
(because the constraint must produce an additional part). From the
perspective of the constraint there is an “internal” OEE Quality Loss.
A part is rejected AFTER the constraint, which DOES affect the constraint
(because the constraint must produce an additional part). From the
perspective of the constraint there is an “external” OEE Quality Loss.
In addition to OEE Loss, you may have Labor Loss (if a reject part is reworked) or
Yield Loss (if a reject part is scrapped). Note that Yield is a measure of the conversion
of “material in” versus “good product material out”. Labor Loss and Yield Loss can
occur at any point of the manufacturing process, and are independent of OEE Loss.
Beware of the temptation to measure “everything” when you actually just need to
measure “enough” to drive improvement and to capture significant costs. Most
companies spend too much time measuring and too little time using the information
they gather.
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