Another way to build lean processes, designing, planning, organizing, directing and controlling a production process both effectively and efficiently, is a challenge and at the same time the fundamental objective of any company that aspires to excellence.
Achieving the best process requires both creativity and critical capacity, which implies being able to object to existing paradigms, both their own and those of the environment, building new ways of thinking about production.
The best way to think about production processes is from the perspective of the Six "F", due to the first letter of the words: foundation, flexibility, strength, reliability, flow and fidelity.
A process is a set of interrelated activities that using various inputs, be they human, material, technological, machines and information, aims to generate products or services with added value, for internal or external use.
The objective of any process, as it is manifested, is to generate added value, so any activity or process that consumes resources but does not generate added value, neither for the company nor for consumers, must be eliminated.
The process to function and meet your objectives correctly must be done in a harmonious and balanced way, and the best way to find this is to focus on the analysis of the Six "F", let's see why.
First of all, we have the foundations, which are the principles on which the production process is based. The first thing we must do is to ask ourselves what are the principles on which our processes and activities are currently based, and that they are both adapted to the needs and expectations of the market, and to the techniques used by our main competitors. If the market requires quality products at a low price, and we with our technology are only in a position to offer quality but not acceptable prices, we must use benchmarking to adopt the best existing techniques, whether or not they belong to our direct competitors.. It is feasible to adopt for a certain process or activity, a technique of a company that is not part of our industry.
Modifying these foundations is imperative in order to recover or continue with the levels of competitiveness. Today, world-class companies have adopted the “Just in Time” philosophy and system as a production system.
The "just in time" gives processes sufficient flexibility to cope with both product changes and changes in volumes and periods of demand. Flexibility implies the ability to change without destroying the generating processes. This not only implies the changeability of the machines in terms of speeds and combinations existing between them, but also the flexibility of the workforce or personnel, a capacity that is demonstrated in the ease of forming different groups, adapting to different productions or activities, and the ability to perform different types of functions in the areas that are more frequent than others.Thus, for example, in Japan, many automotive companies, faced with the drop in demand, reduced production plant personnel and transferred the surplus personnel to the sales area. In this way, the number of personnel was adapted to the real needs of the process, but at the same time, more personnel were used to promote the sale of wheels.
In just in time the fluidity of the processes is essential in order to minimize waste such as the terms of the complete cycles. To acquire lightness in the processes, it is necessary to systematically eliminate the “bottlenecks” as all the obstructions, be they physical, administrative, bureaucratic and even of thought. Achieving the best fluidity implies configuring the best flow, that is, the best movement of both people and information, supplies, parts, products in process and finished. Developing the best lay-out, without hindrances or interferences, and obtaining the best visibility of the processes, not only allows eliminating waste, but also helps to achieve the highest degree of flexibility.
On the other hand, managing production as a flow responds to the need to eliminate batch processes, with the consequent overproduction of parts and finished articles. Producing one by one respecting a harmonic frequency is the ideal of just in time.
The greatest fluidity is obtained to the extent that the processes are faithful and reliable. As for fidelity, we understand as such the exact reproducibility and the accuracy in meeting the specifications. Reducing failure levels implies less reprocessing, and consequently higher speed of exit of products for sale at a lower cost. To achieve this fidelity, it is essential to have reliability, which is given by the degree of confidence in the operation and performance of a part or machine. The greater the reliability of the machines, the shorter the waiting times, and the less the failed production, which contributes to the better fluidity of the processes. No less important is the reliability of the inputs received.
This rapidity in the rotation of inputs and products are an indication of the strength of the processes, the energy and the capacity of the company to generate positive income streams. Achieving that harmony and balance in the flows implies structuring the appropriate foundations, to achieve the greatest reliability and fidelity in order to obtain both flexibility and fluidity.
The improvement in flow is achieved through a better design of the routes, eliminating transport and unnecessary movements. Flexibility goes through both training and staff training, as well as reducing machine set-up times. Loyalty implies the implementation of TQM, while achieving the best reliability of the machines consists in putting Total Productive Maintenance into practice.
conclusion
Achieving, making viable the Six "F" allows the organization to achieve harmony and balance in its processes, in order to avoid the Four Negative F, which are friction, braking, fragmentation and frenzy. Breakdowns, long preparation times, lack of parts and supplies, defect detection problems are some of the main causes of friction in the processes and the consequent slowing down of the flows of the products in process. On the other hand, the fragmentation of processes by functions is one of the main causes of unproductiveness. This lack of harmony ends up resulting in frenzy in the performance of workers and managers. Lack of quality, inability to fulfill orders in a timely manner, on costs,excesses of waste and excesses in working hours end up generating the frenzy.
The lack of balance and harmony generates a greater consumption of resources in an unproductive way, preventing the competitiveness of the company and slowing down its growth and expansion. In the same way that in nature living beings develop in a harmonious and unbalanced way, a company must pursue such harmony. When the balance is lost, actions must be taken to restore it and protect it.
Bibliography
The Twelve Zeros - Mauricio Lefcovich - www.gestiopolis.com - 2005
Kaizen. A search for balance and harmony - Mauricio Lefcovich - www.gestiopolis.com - 2005
Just in Time - Mauricio Lefcovich - www.tuobra.unam.mx - 2005
Excellence in manufacturing - Mauricio Lefcovich - www.ilustrados.com - 2004
The Toyota Production System - Yasuhiro Monden - Ediciones Macchi - 1993
