Lean Manufacturing Systems

Lean Manufacturing Systems  is a general term applied to the latest methods of manufacturing that maximizes value and minimizes the waste. Lean manufacturing systems are varied systems designed to improve the manufacturing line of any company.

Definitions Of Terms In Lean Manufacturing Systems

1. Value in terms of the lean manufacturing systems is basically what the customer is ready to pay for. A company will have to find out or survey what the customer really needs and then focus all its energies and resources towards that valueed goods.

2. Waste in terms of the lean manufacturing systems is the opposite of the value. Everything that is outside the value that was assigned to a particular goods is deemed a waste. Anything that the customer is not willing to pay for is also deemed a waste.

The elimination of this waste can easily manifest itself in at most eight different categories:

a. Overproduction

Overproduction in lean manufacturing systems is the production of a particular good in higher levels and number than what is needed. When a customer orders a particular good, a company will have to manufacture it and deliver it on time.

The problem transpires when the company overproduces the goods and upon delivery, the customer will only buy what he needs. What is left of the products is then deemed as wastes since its quality has diminished and teh customer is not willing to pay for it.

If a company has lean manufacturing systems, then it will be able to monitor how much it should produce adn avoid overproduction.

b. Inventory

Problems in inventory arises when the stock is less than the demand by the customers. If a customer will not be able to get what he wants then it will be a bad image for the company.

Lean manufacturing systems can be administered to be able to avoid the untimely depletion of stocks by proper inventory. Once the stock is near depletion it must be replenished.

c. Defects

Correcting defects have always been a part of lean manufacturing systems. Lean manufacturing systems desire to decrease defects in the manufacturing line by improving processes and applying automation in specific points along the manufacturing line.

Defects are sometimes seen as caused by human errors but these defects can also be caused by improper machineries.

d. Extra processing

Extra processing based from lean manufacturing systems are processes that are seem to be redundant in the system. Extra processing can be solved by lean manufacturing systems simply by monitoring and identifying what specific processes are not needed anymore by the manufacturing line.

What the lean manufacturing systems are doing is to cut down unnecessary processes and improve the manufacturing line.

e. Waiting time

Waiting time per lean manufacturing systems is the unnecessary time that is spent and wasted along the manufacturing line. Again whatever process or loops that can be avoided by the lean manufacturing systems is implemented.

f. Underutilized people   

Underutilized people are also part of the concern of lean manufacturing systems. Lean manufacturing systems finds proper solutions to be able to solve the problem of underutilized people.

Automation processes implemented along the manufacturing lines have induced the decreased need for people.

g. Motion

The motion of the manufacturing line is also a concern for the lean manufacturing systems. The processes of the manufacturing line must be streamlined and improved and lean manufacturing systems have drafted solutions to cut down unnecessary processes.

h. Transportation

The lean manufacturing systems also have a concern over the transportation wastes that a manufacturing company will incur. The lean manufacturing systems have eliminated a few of the problems by centralizing manufacturing operations per plant so that each plant can act and manufacture on their own.

3. Benefits of the lean manufacturing systems are many that includes a better lead-time, more flexibility and more increased sales.

The internal influence of the lean manufacturing systems is the reduced space of operation and a progress in the work. Aside from improvements of quality and an almost minimal expenditures.

Aside from this, lean manufacturing systems can benefit the company with a scrap reduction of about 90%, reduced set-up and lead times by about 90% and 50%. Using lean manufacturing systems, companies can achieve about 20 inventiry turns per year.

Learning the Basics of Lean Manufacturing and Processing

Lean manufacturing and processing has been an important strategy and basic technique in helping companies improve their profitability and competitiveness.

The fundamental function of lean manufacturing and processing is to reduce wastes and unnecessary work practices and behaviors among workers of a particular manufacturing company.

Because the times have really gone hard, demanding and intense due to political and turbulent concerns affecting all nations, firms are currently facing challenges to be able to keep their profitability and efficiency.

In principle, there are seven identified ‘forms of waste’ within the work environment and systems that lean manufacturing and processing principally aims to alleviate, if not totally eliminate. These are over production, over processing, transportation, motion, inventory, waiting and scrap and defects.

Lean manufacturing and processing principles not only reduce operational costs but also aims to boost, restore and drastically improve the competitiveness of a troubled or struggling, even already good-performing, company.

That is basically why learning about lean manufacturing and processing has somehow become imperative for major and global companies.

The era of complete globalization is at hand. That contributes more pressure for companies to start acting right away to be able to survive the rough and hard operational and company challenges ahead.

Lean manufacturing and processing

Lean manufacturing and processing surely gets companies moving along and enjoying huge benefits of really reducing operational costs. If savings are generated, the saved amounts can be used for further capital requirements and investments that could further help companies expand and grow organically.

Lean manufacturing and processing, however, is not very easy to implement and adopt. The companies involved should really and religiously pay particular attention to details to  be able to ensure the success of the efforts.

The number of companies adopting lean manufacturing and processing principles is surely and is apparently on the rise, no doubt about that.

But the thing is, firms adopting lean manufacturing and processing techniques are most of the time, not achieving target and aimed results because they are not doing the strategies and techniques properly.

Insufficient and ineffective implementation of lean manufacturing and processing principles and techniques will surely make the companies’ efforts and capital infusion for the initiative futile and wasted.

It should be noted, also, that lean manufacturing and processing principles would not stand on its own. Companies adopting and embracing them should also strive harder to attain their goals.

Learn about lean manufacturing and processing

Experts advise companies to really get involved in and further learn more about lean manufacturing and processing. It is a logical and surely beneficial effort because lean manufacturing and processing can surely help companies get on with the current challenges and concerns affecting all firms around the world.

There are many ways on how companies can get to learn more about lean manufacturing and processing principles and techniques.

For one, they can hire lean manufacturing and processing experts and professionals who are credible and knowledgeable on the subject and who can really help the companies attain and maximize the benefits of such strategies.

However, hiring lean manufacturing and processing professionals will entail additional costs and investments from companies. They should not really mind it, because the benefits from lean manufacturing and processing implementation will surely offset the little and minimal costs of learning it.

Another thing, companies can designate key personnel to specifically and intently learn lean manufacturing and processing principles and techniques.

It is a common practice by companies around the world currently. The arrangement sees the key personnel attends seminars and get books to really know or learn the lean manufacturing and processing principles.

After that, the designated and assigned personnel will relay the message and everything he learned to the whole staff. It is up to him whether he will make the learning process for his officemates fast-paced or low-paced.

What is important is that the skills and knowledge are distributed and communicated to the entire organization. That way, lean manufacturing and processing principles are really and seriously imbibed by all personnel, to make the strategies work overall for the company.

Lean manufacturing and processing should be learned by all companies because the benefits it assures them, is nothing compared to the costs of absorbing them, which are not really that significant.

Fixed-Position Stop System

A method of addressing problems on assembly lines by stopping the line at the end of the work cycle—that is, at a fixed position—if a problem is detected that cannot be solved during the work cycle.
In the fixed-position stop system, an operator discovering a problem with parts, tools, materials supply, safety conditions, etc., pulls a rope or pushes a button to signal the supervisor. The supervisor assesses the situation and determines if the problem can be fixed before the end of the current work cycle. If the problem can be fixed, the supervisor resets the signal system so the line doesn’t stop. If the problem can’t be corrected within the remainder of the cycle time, the line stops at the end of the work cycle.

The fixed-position stop system was pioneered by Toyota to solve three problems: (1) The reluctance of production associates to pull the signal cord if the entire line would be stopped immediately; (2) unnecessary line stoppages to deal with minor problems that could be resolved within one work cycle; and (3) the need to stop the line at the end of a work cycle rather than mid-way through the cycle to avoid the confusion—plus the quality and safety problems— inherent in restarting work tasks part of the way through a cycle. The fixed-position stop system is a method of jidoka, or building in quality, on manual processes along moving assembly lines.

five whys

The practice of asking why repeatedly whenever a problem is encountered in order to get beyond the obvious symptoms to discover the root cause.
For instance, Taiichi Ohno gives this example about a machine that stopped working (Ohno 1988, p. 17):
1. Why did the machine stop?
There was an overload and the fuse blew.
2. Why was there an overload?
The bearing was not sufficiently lubricated.
3. Why was it not lubricated?
The lubrication pump was not pumping sufficiently.
4. Why was it not pumping sufficiently?
The shaft of the pump was worn and rattling.
5. Why was the shaft worn out?
There was no strainer attached and metal scraps got in.


Without repeatedly asking why, managers would simply replace the fuse or pump and the failure would recur. The specific number five is not the point. Rather it is to keep asking until the root cause is reached and eliminated.