Analyzing the Benefits of Lean Manufacturing and Value Stream Mapping Via Simulation: a Process Sector Case Study

Production practices have had an important role in satisfying the dynamic market. Many approaches have being developed in order to respond effectively to specific business requirements. In fact, some areas of management have focused its study on the overseeing, designing, and controlling the process of production in an effort to find the best methodology that ensures the business success and performance. However, complexities arise in this field because many variables such as costs, inventory, scheduling, suppliers, etc have to be considered in any business. Lean approach and the traditional approach are two points of view that aim to address this complexities, and those will be examined in this essay.

“Lean manufacturing systems produce what customers want, in the quantity they want, when they want it, and with minimum resources. Applying lean concepts in manufacturing typically presents the greatest opportunities for cost reduction and quality improvement” (Jacobs & Chase, 2011, p. 423), Riordan Manufacturing can better position themselves as market leaders.

Chase et al. (2006) state that “lean production is an integrated set of activities designed to achieve high-volume production using minimal inventories of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods” (p. 471). The essential components of lean production are surplus elimination, constant work-flow, and consumer appeal. The minute these components are in the neighborhood of supply, quality and cost, this outlines the groundwork for a lean production organization. A Japanese plan of continuous progress named the Kaizen is responsible for the lean production idea. Riordan can adjust the lean production concept by employee empowerment and advancement, staying focused on making processes stronger, impact of consumer relations, rapid merchandise growth and production, and cooperation with suppliers are the imperative strategies of Riordan managing lean. Features of a lean enterprise include a combined single piece continuous workflow and near incorporation of the entire value series from raw material to finished product. In addition, demand drives production rather than predictions. This means that manufacture designing is by consumer demand or appeal and not to become system loading or strict work flows on the company floor. This will help Riordan keep minimal inventories at each step of the production process. It is also important to know that having a working participation by employees involved in

Under the lean production approaches, a number of factors are essential to the process for

There are different types of waste which result from over production, unnecessary motion, and wasted inventory, production of defective components, transportation and also over processing. The main aim is to eliminate all these kinds of waste.

The purpose of this literary review is to achieve insight into lean manufacture and how it can be applied within a manufacturing environment. With global contention, it is important for maker to remain competitive in their respective marketplace and to understand the principles of lean manufacturing and the step to implement them to ensure that they are on the leading edge of manufacturing. This literary review describes the below mention principles.

Lean Manufacturing logic, tools and techniques were developed by many industrial innovators in the 19th and 20th centuries but it was mostly popularized by Toyota 's successes with Lean after World War II. Lean is all about economy of motion and the reduction of waste in any business. Most of the Lean concepts are part of Industrial Engineering curriculum offered by many colleges and universities.

The success of the Toyota Production System is the evidence that Lean Systems help manufacturing companies in improving their operations and the process of manufacturing. Lean is an approach to eliminate waste and maximize the value for the customers. Lean has made its place in today’s market. Apart from Toyota, companies like John Deere one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery, Textron- leading systems which offers products and services to support the defense and the aerospace, Intel- the world’s largest chip makers, Nike-one of the leading super-cool clothing company have occupied their place in the success list of lean systems.

Lean is about doing more with less and is often used in connection with lean manufacturing to imply a ‘just-intime’ approach to the business. Many companies that have adopted lean manufacturing as a business practice are anything but agile in their supply chain. It is paradoxical that many Japanese companies have exceptionally long delivery lead-times to their customers and insist that those customers provide them with firm orders often several months ahead of manufacture. Yesterday’s world was one characterised by standard products, mass produced for generally predictable market demand. Today’s world is almost the opposite with customers demanding tailored solutions (high variety) in small quantities (low volume) with a higher degree of uncertainty.

Lean System has become a popular technique used in both local and global markets. More companies are embracing it to improve efficiency, achieve better quality, and be more competitive. The Lean thinking was considered to be one potential approach to enhancing organizational performance. It has evolved into a management approach that improves processes at different levels of the organization. Nevertheless, the process of implementing lean manufacturing is bound to encounter obstacles. Besides defining the lean concept, this paper will consider the points that impede lean implementation and will outline the main two defies that companies are facing when they change their business model towards implementing a new management system, lean approach. This paper will also provide some recommendations to overcome these obstacles.

Lean must be brought into the discussion as a possible means of supplementing and strengthening lean manufacturing in situations where its principles may fall short. In this Project we want to emphasize on three methods

Lean manufacturing is not just a production method. It is a way of life. One could say that it is simply a way of providing customers what they want, at a price they can afford, when they want it (Leaning Forward). However, it is much more than just satisfying the customer’s needs.

The lean production philosophy is currently widely applied globally in industries such as the process industry, aerospace industry, furniture manufacturing, the textile industry, hospitals, government agencies, and the service industries. But, there are some principles that need to be followed in order for companies to become lean. There are

The main aim of lean manufacturing is to limit inventory, excess workers and waste. The basic principles can be broken down into five practises – value, value stream, flow, pull and perfection [1]. It is essential to map the value that the product provides to the customer. Decisions need to be well thought-out, and implementations should be rapid. It is also important to ensure that each step provides value thus maintaining the value stream. Flow recognises the processes that ensure that the movement between the value creating steps is smooth. Lean manufacturing requires the customer to pull the output from the previous step and hence avoid overproduction. Finally, the vendor needs to continually strive to improve their quality and processes. Lean manufacturing emphasises on continuous improvement in quality and work should be stopped as soon as quality starts suffering.

When it comes to Lean Enterprise, it focuses mainly on reducing cycle time and also waste in the process. Lean Enterprise was at first developed by Toyota Motor Corporation as the Toyota Production System which became popular after 1973. The energy crisis facilitated the increasing demand at that time. “The term ‘Lean Enterprise’ is used to broaden the scope of a Lean programme from manufacturing to embrace the enterprise or entire organization”. (Alukal, 2003)