a. What were the business & and process conditions that required the application of a Lean Transformation? Seat Belt manufacturer needed continuous improvement of their processes and to maintain a sustainable growth of the company even during the times of economical depression of 2002-2003. They identified four processes within the company that needed improvement: - Disruption of their delivery times - crowding of released work within company’s premises - Periods of low work and/or overtime hours due to released products overload - Line employees performing inappropriately due to disruption on their responsibilities b. What examples illustrate the application of the Four Stages of a Lean implementation? Their implementation of Lean followed the four stages of the Lean Methodology Strategy exposed by Nash, Poling, & Ward (2006): Stage one: they identified what areas were the ones that needed improvement in the company, so they can make an assertive approach. at the same time, the trained the personnel on the Lean methodology, so everyone can have a clear understanding of where they were heading on their processes/cultural transformation. Stage two: their trainings where conducted on-site, so their employees could have a clear understanding of the new methodology applying it to the processes in which they perform on regular basis. Stage three: they implemented the new methodology using only one product line. This “pilot” operation were later transferred to others
Lean Six Sigma concepts were introduced in the book titled Leaning into Six Sigma: The Path to Integration of Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma (Lean Six Sigma). Lean Six Sigma methodologies combine lean manufacturing and Six Sigma strategies to rely on improved performance from a collective team effort that systematically reduces variation and removes seven kinds of waste, known as Muda. Muda includes any unnecessary motion, transport, wait time, inappropriate processing, excess inventory, overproduction, and defects (Lean Six Sigma). Furthermore, Lean Six Sigma methods aim to provide customers with the best possible quality, cost, and delivery (ASQ.org, n.d.). In all, Lean Six Sigma is a business performance improvement strategy that uses a systematic approach to improving the way people advance processes. Its methodologies allow for systematically enriched processes to satisfy the customer and make money. Simply put, Lean Six Sigma as a business enhancer, ingrained with tools and techniques people can use to learn how to improve their processes (iSixSigma,
“Lean is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste (non-value-added activities) through continuous improvement by flowing the **product at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection.” Lockwood [24].
Step 2: This stage may require a negotiation with key stakeholders concerning the definition of success. Also, the coaching plan and resources are agreed and committed. For example, in this stage, the coach should present and agree the executive development needs and goals, identify and outline a suitable action plan, propose suggestions about milestones and metrics, and agree how progress will be measured.
This case study is talking about a small city has one company named Staircase Production Company (SPC). The company focuses on quality and responses customer demand, nevertheless their problem in operations as a result, high costs and late deliveries. Until, Dean Hammond became to a new general manager that wanted to improve the operation in the correct way. Dean pointed out the
1. Maintain the same business model but invest in incremental procedural changes to improve efficiency. Ease into change by forming LEAN teams to address critical issues first, like controlling costs and increasing efficiency.
The lean philosophy centers on the elimination of waste in all forms in an organisation (Shpak, 2016). Lean is usually implemented by initially
The implementation of lean operations is one the most popular ways to improve efficiency and productivity in operations. This strategy has afforded many businesses the opportunities to streamline processes that resulted in improved systems and efficiency. However, many businesses face obstacles with implementing lean practices for various reasons such as unclear directions, employees that are resistant to change, and poor planning. Businesses that encounter issues with lean implementation must identify performance metrics to improve operational strategies. This paper will examine the obstacles businesses experience with lean implementation.
Lean Transformation and Six Sigma are process improvement strategies that can make any industry more efficient and cost effective. Implementing Lean processes and Six Sigma in managed healthcare can greatly improve the quality of healthcare, it can lower costs, and improve patient care. Lean Transformations in healthcare have also been able to greatly improve errors, improved patient outcomes, raise staff morale, and save millions of dollars in costs without affecting staffing (Taninecz, 2014).
Once the team is satisfied with their data and determined that no additional analysis is needed to understanding the problem, it’s time to move on to the improve phase. The team would start collecting improvement ideas. The control phase is when the team would begin to document how they should pass the structure on to the employees who will work within the process (goLEANSIXSIGMA.com, n.d.). The Lean Six Sigma helps the healthcare industry find several basic and standardized solutions for many of their organizational and procedural issues. The Lean Six Sigma can enhance the visual management procedures and reduces the complexity and time of processes. It can also be used in various ways within the healthcare industry and enable healthcare professionals to offer sound and efficient care to the human general public (Six Sigma Online, n.d.). In healthcare organizations where the Lean Six Sigma has become a part of the overall business strategy, the leadership realized that it’s not about the training or the tools. It’s about looking at things from a new and different angle and using a reliable approach to manage and lead change. It's also about making an investment in people by equipping the staff with solid skills and empowering them to solve the problems they are face with in their daily work (Pexton,
Lean is being implemented within the healthcare industry for a short period of time, and even though is a proven successful methodology,
History above shows growth. Switchgear market is fully developed see exhibit 4. Customer orders increased by 75% and expected to keep rising. Lean implementation is needed to meet demand utilizing existing capacity to improve financial performance for the factories. The order follows the route see exhibit 5. Each department fulfils its responsibilities before passing on to the next. Lean started with meetings between management and lean team explaining its benefits in response to panels demand rise. Layout and processes were restructured. Mapping process was done. Lean team held discussions with every department in value chain to understand the current working process. Brainstorming and awareness sessions were done resulting in process flow chart that changes the way
Identify the main mistakes that tend to weaken or derail lean initiatives in companies. Assess the authors' suggestions for improving lean implementation.
Stage 1:Initiation: Develop a business case which describes the business opportunity or issue and present to management. Once approved, then commence feasibility study to research the issue/opportunity and possible solutions. Document solutions and decide upon preferred option. Identify objectives and scope of solutions. Document all project deliverables and impact on stakeholders. Define required qualifications or experience from selected team and recruit for interested/suitable staff. Discuss key roles and assign responsibilities. Design organisation structure which displays: governance, reporting
The feedback received in the second step of the process allows you to move into the third and last stage of the development process; building the product. Based on customer feedback, the company can revise any faulty product assumptions to create a better product. During the third step, the process begins all over again. Design changes and adjustments that comply with consumer suggestions take place now. Compliance with the feedback may only involve small adjustments to the basic MVP model, or they may need to pivot, throw out most of the basic pieces, and start all over again from scratch.
Lean is one way in which these issues can be addressed. The basic concept of lean is “using less to do more”‖ (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2005). For healthcare, in particular, one can apply the principles of lean thinking to improve such processes as patient wait time, levels of staffing, and quality of care. Improvements to such processes can greatly impact the health of the community. Lean operations is all about adding value and removing waste. Lean is a management strategy that seeks to improve operational performance in terms of customer satisfaction, cost, quality, and delivery by focusing on the customer and eliminating waste, variability and inflexibility. It is based on an operational strategy for manufacturing which originated in the Japanese automotive industry, and has now been successfully applied to a range of service businesses. The use of Lean and Six Sigma can help companies position themselves for sustainable growth and profitability through improved efficiencies across the entire enterprise.