Lean Articles

Implementing a flexible manufacturing system signifies a commitment and significant investment by the organization. It is predominant that the system installation precedes by in-depth planning. Its operation should be characterized through excellent management of all the resources, such as people, parts, pallets, tools, and machines. What Is Flexible Manufacturing System? Before going ahead, we [...]

Lean thinking readily decreases lead times and redeems significant revenues to enhance the organization’s progression and ambitions and certainly boosts organization’s productiveness and turnout. It enhances and promotes the company’s efficiency and is generally referred to as “improving progress and flow” and focuses mainly on minimizing waste. Lean thinking is to think from new [...]

Cellular manufacturing is considered as an essential part of lean manufacturing. It deals with manufacturing products in small batches to aid continuous production process. Cellular manufacturing follows the principle of group technology, a term introduced by Frederick Taylor, that means that analogous products having similar properties are grouped together and so does the equivalent [...]

Voice of Customer in Six Sigma is the procedure used to apprehend feedback from the client to cater the customer with best service and quality. It describes both the told and untold requirements of the customers by various methods, such as, observation, interviews, surveys, reports and complaint logs etc. This process involves being innovative [...]

CTQ is the abbreviated term for Critical to Quality. CTQ tree is a Six Sigma tool that is based on diagrams and helps to manufacture and provide superior quality products to customers. CTQ trees are used to interpret extensive and broader customer requirements into particular, precise, litigable and calculable performance demands. While formulating new [...]

Value stream map is a visual mean to portray and improve the flow of a manufacturing and production process, as well as the information that controls the flow of materials through the process. In this article we will review how to create a value stream map. A value stream map will take into account not [...]

Root Cause Analysis In simple words, an underlying cause of the problem is referred to as the root cause and the process of finding out the root cause of a problem or an adverse event is known as root cause analysis. Some problems are so rigid and tenacious that they won’t go away that [...]

In lean manufacturing, andon refers to state presentation station. It is a visual presentation of ongoing operations and indicates where any action is needed. It is considered as the most effective intercommunication tool as it allows the process to run sleekly without any impediment or jam. Andon is ancient Japanese terminology for accustomed paper [...]

Statistical Process Control (SPC) is an industry-standard procedure for measuring and monitoring quality during the manufacturing process. Quality data as Product or Process estimations are acquired in real-time during manufacturing. This data is then plotted on a graph with predetermined control limits. Control limits are determined by the capability of the process, though the [...]

There have been debates when it comes to Lean and Six Sigma, in the business world. Most individuals have solid views about which method is more functional for removing waste and cutting costs. Six Sigma is a set of methods that attempt to greatly decrease the rate of defects, while Lean manufacturing is an [...]