LEAN Manufacturing in 4 steps

To accomplish it, LEAN thinking is about continuously improving company processes. Eliminate waste and put the customer first. This way, quality improves, lead times decrease, and costs go down. The client will be more satisfied, and the processes will run more smoothly.

What are the four steps toward LEAN working?

The LEAN improvement process has four steps:

1. Measure

LEAN starts with collecting improvement opportunities. Better yet: by recognizing waste and targeting improvement opportunities. During this phase, the problem is defined, the process is described, and improvement goals are specified. A suitable measuring system is essential for this phase.

2. Improve

Actual solving. Addressing the issue or waste is part of the improvement step.

3. Standardize

Has the intended result been reached in the planning phase? Great. However, change in itself isn’t enough: how do you make changes last? A standard or norm clearly specifies how to work.

The advantages are:

• Fewer errors
• More efficient work balance
• Mutual comparisons of methods and results possible
• Products or services become interchangeable, which can lead to economy of scale

4. Secure and audit

Once the improvement- or change process has finished, it’s essential to preserve the standard. Securing will lead to (new) processes and activities becoming part of the employees and the work processes. In this way results will be focused on the long term rather than the short-term. Audits (both internal and external) verify whether effects are lasting.

LEAN with Cierpa Software

Cierpa Software uses the Deming- and Kaizen methods for a perfect fit with the LEAN process. This way, your company will have faster and more enduring improvements.

Measure: Cierpa OEE and Cierpa Quality

Cierpa OEE offers insight and overview over the actual measurements. This way, the underlying cause of waste is made clear. Cierpa Quality offers efficient quality control.

Improve: Cierpa Kaizen

Cierpa Kaizen shows possible improvements in a clear and manageable way. It offers a centralized view, and PDCA categorization offers quick insight into who does what when.

Standardize: Cierpa Competence

What’s the latest standard and where can I find it? Has everyone been trained? Have all employees achieved the requisite knowledge level? Cierpa Competence gets the right knowledge to the right place.

Secure and audit: Cierpa Assessment

Cierpa Assessment is more than just a snapshot of your company management: the web-based auditing tool shows you the actual progress within your organization, and, because you can do the assessments yourself, 5S audits will fit into your long-term strategy.