"The main objective of lean manufacturing is to reduce times within the production system as well as response times from suppliers and to customers."
A production methodology that emphasizes the elimination of waste and focuses on continuous improvement of processes and products.
Value stream mapping: A visual tool that helps identify the entire process of value adding activities.
Waste reduction: The identification and removal of activities that do not add value to the customer.
5S principles: A workplace organization methodology that focuses on five principles: sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain.
Kanban: A scheduling system that signals when to produce more.
Pull production: A production system that produces and delivers products only when it is needed.
Continuous improvement: A philosophy that involves constantly finding ways to improve.
Total Quality Management (TQM): A systematic approach to quality improvement.
Just-in-Time (JIT): A production philosophy that aims to produce the right amount of products at the right time.
Standardized Work: A methodology used for continuous improvement which focuses on documenting best practices.
Andon: A signal system used to notify people of problems or defects.
SMED: A methodology that's used to reduce set-up time.
Poka-yoke: A methodology used to prevent defects.
Kaizen: A philosophy that involves continuous improvement through small incremental changes.
Workcell design: A process of designing a small production system that can produce a final product or assembly.
Just-in-Sequence (JIS): A production method that delivers the exact needed materials on-time to assembly lines.
Value analysis: A method for reducing costs by analyzing the functions required of a product.
Visual Management: A method for visually representing processes to assist in communication and problem-solving.
Quality Function Deployment(QFD): A process for translating customer needs into product requirements and specifications.
Total Productive Maintenance: A methodology used to keep machines in good condition by performing regular maintenance.
Cellular manufacturing: A methodology for grouping machinery and workstations into cells to create a more efficient production flow.
Kaizen: Continuous improvement of production processes by eliminating waste and maximizing efficiency.
Kanban: Just-in-time inventory management system to reduce inventory waste.
Single-piece flow: Production of one product at a time through a series of stations or work cells to reduce bottlenecks.
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): A proactive approach to maintaining equipment to prevent breakdowns or defects.
5S: A system for organizing the workplace to increase efficiency and reduce waste. The five "S's" stand for sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain.
Value Stream Mapping (VSM): A tool to identify and eliminate non-value-add activities in a production process.
Poka-yoke: Error-proofing techniques to prevent human errors in production processes.
Andon: A system for alerting operators or managers of problems in the production process.
Heijunka: A method for leveling production to a consistent rate to reduce waste.
Gemba: A Japanese term meaning "the real place" and refers to a Lean manufacturing technique of going to the actual location where production is taking place to observe and identify improvement opportunities.
"Lean manufacturing adopts the just-in-time approach and additionally focuses on reducing cycle, flow and throughput times by further eliminating activities which do not add any value for the customer."
"Lean manufacturing also involves people who work outside of the manufacturing process, such as in marketing and customer service."
"Lean manufacturing is particularly related to the operational model implemented in the post-war 1950s and 1960s by the Japanese automobile company Toyota called Toyota Production System (TPS)."
"Toyota's system was erected on the two pillars of just-in-time inventory management and automated quality control."
"The seven 'wastes' (muda in Japanese), first formulated by Toyota engineer Shigeo Shingo, are the waste of superfluous inventory of raw material and finished goods, the waste of overproduction, the waste of over-processing, the waste of transportation, the waste of excess motion, the waste of waiting, and the waste of making defective products."
"The term Lean was coined in 1988 by American businessman John Krafcik in his article 'Triumph of the Lean Production System'."
"The five key principles of lean manufacturing, as defined by American researchers James Womack and Daniel Jones, are to precisely specify value by specific product, identify the value stream for each product, make value flow without interruptions, let customer pull value from the producer, and pursue perfection."
"By receiving goods only as they need them for the production process, it reduces inventory costs and wastage, and increases productivity and profit."
"The downside is that it requires producers to forecast demand accurately as the benefits can be nullified by minor delays in the supply chain. It may also impact negatively on workers due to added stress and inflexible conditions."
"A successful operation depends on a company having regular outputs, high-quality processes, and reliable suppliers."