Introduction
Lean Manufacturing, as the discipline and way of invoicing of JIT (Just In Time) is known in the West, was developed between Taichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo around the 40s, when they were working in the Toyota car company.
The principle of Lean lies in implementing improvements to the processes with what is at hand, without the need to acquire or invest more, using a simple strategy.
The strategy used is that of DMAIC, which stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control.
By combining this Lean Manufacturing technique with statistical control, what is known as 6 Sigma is called.
1. Why is Lean Manufacturing the most effective answer to improve quality?
Lean Manufacturing is expressed as the essence of teamwork, of doing work in order and to the letter, of following strategies and implementing improvements, which ultimately result in better quality. This is reflected in the production, with very low levels of defects and in the end, the simplification of the work for all the personnel.
Lean means lean in English. This implies that we must transform a large problem into a smaller one, and for this, the main root of this must be found.
2. The steps of DMAIC
The steps of DMAIC
Figure No 1. DMAIC steps. (Own elaboration)
Define
If something can't be defined, it can't be understood, and if so, nothing can be done about it to solve it. The purpose of defining is to know that something is wrong, and to locate where that problem comes from. If you don't know the problem, you can't come up with a solution.
To size
A process is only as good as the method by which it is measured. This does not mean that it must contain expensive tools or devices, but that it must be simple enough and easy to read so that the operator or those in charge of it can measure progress, whether it is going well or not, and define, from Right there, the corrective or preventive actions to take, so that it does not get out of control.
Analyze
Here comes the part of finding the needle in the haystack, it is where teamwork comes in. What a team can do is give new approaches or ways of looking at the problem, where in the end they manage to analyze it and find the root cause. Knowing the root cause, you continue to act to solve it.
To get better
Here again involves teamwork. It involves fixing the problem, be it stopping the machinery for maintenance, recalibrating it, etc. It is where the necessary adjustments must be made to put the process back in order, and from there start the process again with the new improvement.
Control
This stage involves keeping the process under control, thus verifying that the improvement implemented is causing the desired positive impact. Either monitor that the machine is producing under the defined standards, that the production time is adequate for each stage, that the error that previously occurred is not occurring again and that no new problems have been generated.
3. Practical example of implementation of the DMAIC methodology.
Define
The problem in question deals with the method of how to carry out the Resource Supply and Demand process for projects requested by a client in a company.
To meet the requirements of the project, the time period that is granted by the client to deliver the project in question must be met.
This time control is carried out using a shared Excel file where the owner or members of the projects fill in the hours they have dedicated to it. This file is used to have a control of the time that all the members of the division have invested, with their respective projects.
The problem here is that there is only one file and you need to know who the person is, out of the 30 of the division, who has it, to ask them and to be able to fill in the data of your project (s). The problem is magnified when the monthly meeting arrives where the progress of the projects must be presented, and since there is no control or location of it, copies are made, so that at the end the Excel file is updated.
This file acts as a database to be able to manage and move the necessary resources to finish the projects on time, but if the projects are not documented up to date, on time and in good shape, it is not possible to keep a correct control and be taking time from another project that already has a deadline to complete.
What is sought is a user-friendly system where everyone can enter their data at the same time, without depending on that single file, in order to keep a correct control and prioritize projects that are already about to meet the deadline..
To size
For the measurement process, the VSM tool is used. With this, we identify all the steps to follow in the process so that it is filled. In addition, we identify pre-process and post-process activities.
Discrepancies are found in the form of filling in the information, finding that there were situations in which a member of a group within the division filled in the data for their entire team, and that not all filled their own data, we even found people who did not they knew how to fill it.
It is found that the process prior to the project is the assignment of this by the client, and that in order for it to be assigned, a project order must be filled out, and that it may take time to be approved by the client if it is not fulfilled. the required specifications. Until the customer gives the go-ahead, the project is assigned to the engineer.
For the subsequent process, we find the activities that take place during and after the monthly meeting, and how long it takes the head of the division to be able to move members from one group to another to fulfill the projects.
Analyze
For this stage, several tools were used such as the flow chart, the SWOT analysis, the feasibility analysis of solutions. To do this, lead engineers and those in charge of filling out the file for a team are summoned and they work with them to find the best option.
When carrying out this analysis, the best feasible solution is to transfer the database (Excel file) to an online community that only company members have access to, where it can be filled in real time and in parallel, that is, two or more people at the same time, the number of hours for the different projects.
To get better
Taking into account the results of the previous analysis phase, the decision is made to create the database on the company's community creation page. For this, the operation of the page and the way in which it is programmed to elaborate the code / mechanics of the community is investigated with company personnel.
A prototype is made and presented to the clients, and it is concluded that it is fine and works well, you just have to make some modifications, which are carried out.
Control
So that all the engineers now fill out the file in the new community, they are given some trainings per group, in which the filling process is explained step by step, how to review the results (graphs) and how to edit any results if they arrive to enter it in the wrong way.
As it is known that sometimes a simple training is not enough, a user manual is made, which all engineers (community members) can download to review any stage of the filling process that has not been clear to them.
In addition, a facilitator and a co-facilitator are left in charge of the online community, who can resolve any conflict or conflict that arises in the community.
Finally, a facilitator / co-facilitator manual is drawn up in the same way, so that in the situation that the person in charge of the page is changed division, someone can be left in charge of the community and it can continue to function without problem.
conclusion
As could be expressed previously, Lean is a way of being. It is a set of steps to follow that help us solve and simplify problems, and that help us implement improvements, with the aim of reducing time, and by doing this, we are reducing costs.
For a Lean project to be effective, the objective must be clear, where it wants to go and see if it is viable.
Bibliographic references
- Socconini, L.; Barrantes, M. (2006). The 5's process in action. Mexico: Grupo Editorial Norma.Socconini, L. (2008). Lean Manufacturing Step by step. Mexico: Grupo Editorial Norma.
