Introduction
Shingijutsu Kaizen helps companies to achieve lean production, that is, to generate a maximum of production with a minimum of resources, satisfying high levels and demands in terms of quality and service. The Kaizen system, initiated by Toyota in Japan and known in the West as the Toyota Production System, has been recognized as the most efficient technology by first world businessmen.
Kaizen is a culture of continuous improvement focused on eliminating waste and waste in all systems and processes of an organization. Kaizen focuses its effort on people, since it is they who end up making its postulates come true. The objective is to continuously and systematically improve quality levels, achieving optimal control and cost reduction, while making it possible to achieve on-time delivery. Kaizen transforms companies into global competitors of excellence. According to Eliyahu Goldratt "continuous improvement will be an increasingly critical issue as we move into the 21st century."
Kaizen consists of four key elements that are:
- Quality, effort, willingness to improve, and effective communication.
The Toyota Production System is supported by two essential concepts that are "Just in Time" and "autonomization", which contribute to achieving "flat production" (Heijunka).
Kaizen not only represents a gradual system of change, it constitutes at the same time a revolutionary approach to seeing and appreciating processes and activities, altering the traditional way of managing a company.
Generally, traditional production management methods suffer from four serious flaws and drawbacks:
- On the one hand, everything related to the Prediction of sales and needs, with strong alterations, and important differences between real demand and actualized production. On Production Planning, with strong drawbacks in terms of inventory control, timing of responses to face market changes and deep irregularities (peaks and valleys) in the quantities produced. Production Systems, with high preparation times, problems when changing tools, important "bottlenecks", prolonged processes transformation and constant problems in terms of quality (with high percentages of scrap and reprocessing) And, Warehouses (control of inaccurate inventories, increasing paperwork, excessive use of storage space, losses due to obsolescence,decomposition of materials and inputs, etc.).
These drawbacks typical of companies considered traditional due to their adherence to Taylorian and Fordist principles and paradigms, which were highly successful, especially in North American companies, after World War II and practically until the 1973 Oil Crisis, today they no longer allow companies to compete, but also not to survive given the strong changes in the environment.
Shingijutsu concentrates its efforts on excellence management in terms of the time factor (resource), and the best way to achieve this is by eliminating negative restrictions, producing quality products and services "the first time", eliminating irregularities in production processes, reducing response times and terms for both development and production of goods, and as a consequence, achieving an increase in turnover levels, with all the financial implications that the latter has in terms of liquidity and profitability.
Kaizen principles
Kaizen operates on the basis of four fundamental principles that are:
- Principle of Positive Constraints, Principle of Negative Constraints, Principle of Focus, Principle of Facilitator.
The Principle of Positive Restrictions implies creating conditions that prevent the generation or processing of products with defects or failures. Thus, for example, the generation of "zero" inventories, and supply adjusted to the needs (both in time and in quantity) prevents the generation of poor quality products, since there will be no inputs or finished products that replace those that have faults. or defects. Therefore, the elimination or drastic reduction of inventories is a restriction that is intended to force the receipt and processing of products according to specifications.
Other examples of positive restrictions are the stoppages of the production processes when an anomaly is detected, an interruption that although it is costly, precisely because of such cost forces to search for the root cause for each problem and inconvenience in order to avoid future new ones. interruptions, avoiding acting only on the symptoms.
The Budget Administration (or Budget-Based Administration - ABP) obliges the managers to manage the company in such a way as to make the budgeted feasible, except outside causes or force majeure, even so the company must be managed in such a way that the results are as close as possible to the budget. In this way, this form of management also constitutes a Positive Restriction.
The Principle of Negative Restriction is based on the existence of “bottlenecks” that tend to slow down, interrupt or slow down the normal development of activities and processing of products or services.
Thus, positive constraints must be created, and bottlenecks removed (negative constraints).
The third principle is that of Focus. Every organization has a limited number of resources, and the best way to take advantage of them is by focusing them on the activities in which the organization is most competitive. Hence the need to know how to recognize that although it is necessary to apply continuous improvement to each and every one of the company's processes, there are certain and certain processes which are convenient to separate from the company, via outsourcing or the creation of entities "Satellites". If we intend to do sports at the Olympic level we cannot dedicate ourselves to improving our performance in swimming, high jump and trampoline, it will be better to focus on what we are better at and have a chance of winning, therefore concentrating our effort to continuous improvement.Never has such an analogy been so important and fundamental to understand and apply.
Thus, the Nike company is focused on research and design activities, as well as marketing, outsourcing production and distribution, in such a way as to be able to compete with other brands such as Adidas or Converse, among others.
The fourth principle concerns the facilitation of tasks, activities and processes, through autonomization, simplification processes, automation (including robotization), poka yoke and process reengineering, among others.
Thus, when recreating the processes and activities of a company we must ask ourselves:
- What activities and processes should we focus on? What activities can and / or should we outsource? What positive restrictions should we generate? What are the Bottlenecks? What should we do to overcome them? What processes and activities can we simplify? Where should we apply reengineering? What can we simplify about products, services, processes and activities? What activities should be automated?
The Kaizen and Just in Time methods revolve around these principles, since the improvement of the quality allows to overcome the restrictions, the improvement of the layout and the processing in terms of quality, productivity and times makes it possible to overcome the bottlenecks (such as times for tool changes or preparation times), reengineering makes processes easier, and all of this must be achieved by concentrating resources in the areas and processes in which the company has clear competitive advantages (focus), which is vital in an age of global activities.
Just in Time basics
The essential concepts of Just in Time revolve around three Japanese words that are: shojinka, soifuku and jidoka. What do each of them mean, and why are they so important?
Shojinka involves adapting to demand through flexibility at work. It is this flexibility of the workforce, in terms of its number and functions, which makes it possible to adapt production to demand.
Shojinka implies increasing productivity, since the number of workers (direct labor) is adapted at all times to the existing demand (in terms of quantity and variety), thus achieving the elimination of idle time and non-staff. active.
Making shojinka feasible implies, in the first place, improving the plant design (layout) through a better distribution of equipment and personnel according to the processes, designing U-shaped sections. Secondly, the versatility or versatility of the workers, since this will allow a worker to take charge of various stages of the process, thereby increasing productivity per man-hour and per worker.
Soifuku implies the promotion of innovative ideas by staff through means such as suggestion systems and quality control circles, among others, in order to achieve constant improvements in production processes and activities.
Jidoka implies both automation with a human touch (Ohno) in the sense of substituting manual tasks for mechanized tasks without personnel intervention, from input of input to completion of the operation, and on the other hand it means controlling defects in a way automatic by the same machine through the use of sensors, mechanical switches, photoelectric cells, and infrared rays among many others.
Automatically stopping the machine at the end of a batch or generating a problem, defect or inconvenience makes it possible for a worker to take charge of several machines and equipment simultaneously with all that this implies in terms of productivity. This is known as autonomization.
Conditions to execute the Just in Time
At least ten fundamental conditions must be fulfilled to make effective buying or producing only what is needed and when it is needed or required.
- In the first place, what the customers want must be produced, in the quantity and when they specify it, and not produce to conform stock of products in process (intermediate) or finished. Reduce manufacturing times and make processes more flexible, in such a way that Respond effectively and efficiently to changing customer and consumer requirements Have the ability to manufacture small volumes of components or articles, thus departing from batch manufacturing and the concept of economic quantity, typical of the traditional company Have the discipline to produce and purchase the quantities strictly necessary to meet immediate demands.Avoid waiting times as well as wasted time.Have supplies or components delivered to the places where they should be used,as opposed to its storage and subsequent distribution through the different areas or processes Achieve a high level of reliability of the equipment and machinery, in such a way that each machine will be used to produce the components or products in the necessary quantities, and when As indicated Manage Total Quality throughout the organization and in all its activities or processes Buy products and supplies of a quality that guarantee that the processes will not stop due to lack of quality or delivery in a timely manner. the highest degree of versatility on the part of the staff so that they can adapt to market requirements.In this way, each machine will be used to produce the components or products in the necessary quantities, and when it is indicated Manage Total Quality throughout the organization and in all its activities or processes Buy products and supplies of a quality that guarantee that the processes will not stop due to lack of quality or delivery in a timely manner. Achieve the highest degree of versatility on the part of the staff so that they can adapt to market requirements.In this way, each machine will be used to produce the components or products in the necessary quantities, and when it is indicated Manage Total Quality throughout the organization and in all its activities or processes Buy products and supplies of a quality that guarantee that the processes will not stop due to lack of quality or delivery in a timely manner. Achieve the highest degree of versatility on the part of the staff so that they can adapt to market requirements.Achieve the highest degree of versatility on the part of the staff so that they can adapt to market requirements.Achieve the highest degree of versatility on the part of the staff so that they can adapt to market requirements.
The Five "S"
The Five "S" respond to the initial of the Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke, whose meanings are: separate, order, clean, standardize and respect. The importance that the application of the Five "S" has is essential and fundamental when it comes to reducing occupied spaces, eliminating time losses, avoiding the loss of instruments and materials, avoiding accidents, increasing the staff's mood, improving the maintenance of machinery and equipment, and avoid all kinds of waste and anomalies in the workplace (gemba).
Raising awareness, training, mentalizing and disciplining all personnel, both workers and managers, in the implementation and effective implementation of the Five “S” is critical.
The process begins with the Seiri, which means separating what is necessary from what is not, to then go on to order each element in the most suitable place according to its uses and characteristics (Seiton). The Seiso includes the cleaning and inspection not only of the facilities, machines and equipment, but of the entire work area. The Seiketsu includes both the self-discipline and the cleanliness and safety of the workers, to culminate with the Shitsuke that comprises the continuous review of the fulfillment of the previous stages, which must be carried out constantly in order to maintain and preserve order, cleanliness, grooming and discipline in workplaces.
The 3 "M"
This refers to the concepts of Muda, Mura and Muri, whose meanings in Japanese are respectively: waste or waste, irregularity and tension.
The Mudas comprise all the wastes produced by activities and processes that, using resources, do not generate added value. Among the seven classic changes defined by Taiichi Ohno we have:
- Removals due to overproduction Removal of inventories Removal of movements Removal of transport Removal due to process designs Removal due to scrab, failures and reprocessing Removal due to waiting times
It is the duty of managers to ensure the prevention and elimination of such types of waste. The entire organization must become aware of the imperative of detecting and eliminating these types of waste, which undermine the profitability of the company and its competitive capabilities.
In the case of overproduction and inventories, their elimination implies not only a saving of resources, but also constitutes a "positive" restriction in that it forces the organization to manage its processes in such a way as to produce only quality products "to the first ”.
As for Mura, it includes irregularities in the production process, which ends up generating an over-stock due to lack of balance in the generation of products, or interruptions in the processes which cause "bottlenecks" or times of stoppages or unproductive use of machines and labor. Eliminating irregularities in production processes is essential when generating a "Just in Time" production.
And finally we have the Muri, which understands the tensions that exist in the workplace. Said tensions are caused both by frustration, internal and inter-sector confrontations, confrontations between managers and supervisors, of the latter with workers and between managers and workers, and labor fatigue, among others. Muri is a generator of job dissatisfaction, illnesses and work accidents, high levels of absenteeism and job rotation, and consequently loss of interest in work, drop in productivity, increase in the levels of waste and failures, and therefore decrease in profitability levels.
Therefore, the importance of monitoring the company continuously to detect the appearance of any of the three "M" in time for the purposes of its corresponding analysis and control is concluded. The three "M" are closely related to each other, since the existence of irregularities in the processes cause waste, and both generate frustration and tension, in turn that greater tension indirectly causes new increases in the levels of waste and consequently leads to the company to greater irregularities in its processes, therefore we are facing a true “spiral of imbalances”, hence the importance of preventing, detecting and eliminating their causes in order to avoid falling into a negative indicator syndrome, which leads to a continuous loss of competitiveness.
Detection and removal of negative constraints
Identifying negative constraints is often a complex task. Generally, these types of restrictions generate accumulation of inventories or products in process, growth in the amount of inputs in warehouses can be generated (not always this is the product of a "bottleneck"), a drop in the speed of the process flow, an increase in response times, increased production cycle times, longer product development times and slower decision times.
There are therefore limitations of a physical nature, but also human. Regarding the first, the objective is to avoid wasting resources in such a restriction. To do this, we proceed to focus on increasing production with existing limitations, studying the best way to exploit the limited resources so as not to waste them.
The most profitable use of limitations (negative restrictions) implies applying the principle of focus, since it entails the urgent need to know how to manage scarce resources in such a way as to not only achieve the maximum use, but also achieve the greatest possible benefits. Therefore, when faced with a series of products that generate different added values, priority must be given when facing the restriction, to those goods that generate the greatest benefits. With equal benefits, priority must be given according to the stipulated delivery commitment.
It is essential that the parts, supplies and products in process that reach the restrictive point do so in compliance with the quality specifications, in order not to waste the least capacity of the restrictive process.
Another way to overcome the "negative" restriction is by putting the restriction to produce for a greater number of hours, accompanied by preventive and predictive maintenance. No less important based on what has just been commented is to implement an effective stop management.
Both in terms of production of goods and services, including administrative activities and processes, it is essential to carry out both an improvement in working methods and a reengineering of the processes in order to eliminate the "negative" restrictions also called " bottleneck".
Quick tool change
In factories, machines are most often multipurpose, which makes it easy to achieve high utilization rates, thereby ensuring profitability and low production costs. But, to go from one type of production to another, you have to change the machine tools. Since traditional companies have work methods that lead to lengthy processes for such preparations, such companies generate large batches of identical parts in order to take advantage of the time consumed in changing tools and preparation tasks or activities.
Given the current demands for a greater variety of products, at reduced costs, it is necessary to incorporate new techniques that make it possible to go from long times to ever shorter times for tool changes.
In this way, a 1,500-ton stamping press that took 285 minutes to change and put into use conditions, after the changes made in the work methodology, was carried out in just 22 minutes, and all this at a negligible cost.
Another example is that of a molten aluminum injection press, which went from 247 minutes to 84 minutes, and then only 15 minutes.
The best way to achieve rapid tool change is by complying with the following work scheme:
- Avoiding travel, waiting, wasted time, searches and the need to choose, in what way? having everything necessary in an orderly manner next to the machine, and preparing the staff for the best use of the various devices, making use of different means for a faster and more precise transfer and movement of tools. (Examples: tool trolleys at machine height, overhead cranes, pneumatic jacks). It is also important to review the conception of the tool in such a way as to reduce the number of elements to be disassembled, reducing the fixing times of the tools. To do this, reduce the number of bolts and screws, reduce their length, replace the holes with notches and notches, grooved nuts and bolts, elements for quick fixings.Positioning and centering signals are also important, reducing adjustment and connection times. How to do it? Normalizing the heights of the tools; using adjustment templates; making use of shims, color markings, graduations and notches; using quick connection and disconnection systems, and having a witness piece of each type to be produced next to the machine. Carry out tasks after hours. Such as: cleaning, maintenance, sharpening, cleaning, preheating of tools, among others. Check the design. Consisting of the standardization of the parts to be produced, and the standardization of the dimensions of tools and molds.using adjustment templates; making use of shims, color markings, graduations and notches; using quick connection and disconnection systems, and having a witness piece of each type to be produced next to the machine. Carry out tasks after hours. Such as: cleaning, maintenance, sharpening, cleaning, preheating of tools, among others. Check the design. Consisting of the standardization of the parts to be produced, and the standardization of the dimensions of tools and molds.using adjustment templates; making use of shims, color markings, graduations and notches; using quick connection and disconnection systems, and having a witness piece of each type to be produced next to the machine. Carry out tasks after hours. Such as: cleaning, maintenance, sharpening, cleaning, preheating of tools, among others. Check the design. Consisting of the standardization of the parts to be produced, and the standardization of the dimensions of tools and molds.Review conception. Consisting of the standardization of the parts to be produced, and the standardization of the dimensions of tools and molds.Review conception. Consisting of the standardization of the parts to be produced, and the standardization of the dimensions of tools and molds.
Poka Yoke
It is convenient to equip the workstations with simple automatic means that make it possible to limit or avoid errors, oversights and failures of the operator. Such means are called anti-error or "error-proof" systems (poka yoke).
When it comes to anti-error systems, we have instructions or operating diagrams, through check lists, electronic and / or mechanical devices, as well as any tool or method that avoids failures or prevents oversights by staff.
This methodology that generates various tools is based on the creative capacity of the staff, hence the transcendent importance that knowledge management currently has, taking into consideration the criticality of reducing the times of the production cycle, reducing the number of defects per million of opportunities and drastically reduce costs.
Kanban system
Any methodology by which an area or process gives notice to a previous one to supply or supply certain components, inputs, parts or finished products constitutes a Kanban System. Kanban works under the "pull" approach as opposed to the push approach. The Kanban must be managed in such a way as to minimize the amount of products in process, as well as inputs and finished products in warehouses. Although it all started with the use of notice cards or cards, today given the current technology it is possible to use both barcodes and chips, among other elements, which facilitate (facilitation principle) and reduce the costs of managing the system..
The idea is: "the simpler or simpler the better", but today making use of new technologies it is feasible thanks to digital systems to be able to control not only the location of the goods or supplies requested from third parties (GPS) or transported from other plants the same company, but also control the location and status of the inputs in the same plant (control that they are used based on expiration dates or processing age, control that they are not stored in areas in which they should not be for issues pertaining to the product –temperature of the area, humidity levels, among others). The chip can be attached as soon as it leaves the supplier's warehouses, or when it arrives at the plant.
The same chips can inform about the journey of the pieces through the plant, the waiting times, the processing speed, among many other fundamental issues for the "Just in Time" system.
Heijunka. Balanced production
If something about the Just in Time System goes against intuition, it is the balanced production system called Heijunka. It consists of disaggregating the production batches as much as possible, even when it is possible to unite them, and on the other hand, keeping the total production volume constant.
This principle must be suitably adapted depending on the type of products and the form of marketing. The Heijunka system plans for the short term, accumulating the needs of the different items (combining them appropriately with MRP II), then planning a sequence of small standard batches that repeats with frequency proportional to sales (hence the importance of recognizing the system sales), frequently modifying the quantities of the different items as sales are generated.
Among the advantages of applying this balanced production system we have:
- Shorter delivery times Lower stock levels Better use of human, material and financial resources.
Advantages of just-in-time production
- 75-95% reduction in delivery times and stock levels 15-40% increases in global productivity 25-50% reduction in used area Tool changes or setup times with reductions of between 75 and 95%. Reduction of 80 to 95% in machine downtime due to breakdowns or incidents. Reduction in the number of defects from 80 to 98%, bringing the levels of defects to parts per million (six sigma level).
Conclusions
The more easily you absorb ideas and best practices from abroad and merge them with your own traditions and culture, the greater the advantage that both the country and its companies have in the globalized world. Therefore, leaving aside the words in Japanese, it is necessary to concentrate on the fundamental ideas and act accordingly, implementing those management and production systems and methods that allow a company to compete globally.
Companies that are open and willing to change have a huge advantage over those that are not. Thus, a company must have a strong culture, but also sufficient openness to adapt and adopt elements from others. All those who defend cultural exclusivity or excellence are at a real disadvantage. Never before has it been so important to distinguish clearly between the "way of being" and the "way of doing". In a globalized world, "doing" tends to be the dominant element, and any company that wants to generate value at a global level must adapt its way of doing to the market it is targeting.
A company must not only be in the correct lane, but also move along it, and at the maximum possible speed…
Managers must think very seriously about changing their paradigms and adopting systems conducive to greater competitiveness. The history of economic development teaches us the same lesson over and over again: if you can do something, you must do it; otherwise, the competition will.
According to Kotter, there are eight primary reasons why major change efforts fail:
- Allowing too much complacency Failing to create a powerful enough guiding coalition Underestimating the power of the vision Miscommunicating the vision Allowing obstacles to block the new vision Failing to win short-term victories Declare victory too early Neglecting the firm anchoring of changes in corporate culture.
Recognizing the reasons that prevent the great changes to which every company must aspire to continue in the career is essential, that is the reason for its previous enumeration.
It is worth repeating what Goldratt stated "Continuous improvement will be an increasingly critical issue as we move into the 21st century because, wherever we look, we will see that competition will be more fierce than ever."
Bibliography
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