Production Workshops

Workplace Organization and Transformation – 5S

Course Description:

Goal: To teach participants to implement a system to monitor, calculate, and reduce waste through the use of user-friendly measurement tools and concepts. This is an abbreviated Lean 5S course.

Rationale: Waste and scrap are expensive inefficiencies in manufacturing processes that directly affect an organization’s profits…negatively. By reducing waste and scrap an organization will realize immediate cost reductions in the entire throughput process.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Identify waste-producing weak links in the throughput process and how to make Housekeeping Plus one of the standards of cost containment;
2. Teach others in the organization the necessity of Workplace Organization being implemented prior to initiation of all Lean projects;
3. Examine current policies and procedures impacting Workplace Organization and modify them, discard them, or establish new ones to contribute to overall productivity; and
4. Implement Housekeeping Plus.

Participants:

This class has been designed for the for owners, plant managers, general managers, vice presidents of operations, production managers, supervisors, engineers, team leaders and all associates who desire to improve the overall efficiency of their organization. The program focuses on the basics of eliminating bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the input process, establishing and adhering to an orderly flow process, and identifying new targets for continuous improvement.

Back Street Lean

Course Description:

Goal: To teach how Lean manufacturing principles and processes can be applied to non-repetitive manufacturing organizations, job shops, small manufacturers (made-to-order, short run [low volume]), fabricators, engineered-to-order organizations, tool and die companies, and other typical non-repetitive manufacturers. The program focuses on four main areas: planning and organizing, implementing, sustaining, and world class performance, all as they relate specifically to smaller, non-repetitive, manufacturing and manufacturing-allied organizations.

Rationale: As small manufacturers strive to expand their customer bases and increase productivity and profits, plant managers, general managers, and others who are in positions of authority and responsibility, require proven, practical tools to implement change. This focused training course conveys the information and provides the appropriate tools (forms, worksheets, action items) to implement Lean manufacturing in job shops and small manufacturing operations. This program was derived from assessing and organizing the best practices of a number of job shops which have been practicing lean aggressively since the early 1990s. The forms, checklists, and worksheets will provide the participants with all the tools necessary to either initiate lean improvements or accelerate current lean projects.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Examine how Lean practices apply to non-repetitive manufacturing organizations (i.e., job shops) and the small manufacturing operations;
2. Adapt Lean practices specifically to the requirements of their own unique organizations;
3. Identify appropriate Lean tools that will be most effective in their own organization; and
4. Create a realistic lean implementation plan given their available resources.

Participants:

This class has been designed for plant managers, general managers, owners, vice presidents of operations, and production managers who have various levels of Lean knowledge and experience and who are responsible for operations in job shops, similar manufacturing operations, or manufacturing-allied organizations.

Beyond Quality Control

Course Description:

Goal: To teach a proactive method of thinking and working such that quality is integrated into the production stream and not relegated to “after-the-fact” final inspection.

Rationale: Many organizations have final inspection, or some version(s) of it. Final inspection is too late. Final inspection generates waste because the poor quality product is finished and is destined for the scrap heap. In this system, quality assessment becomes part of “real-time,” “in-stream” auditing conducted by a Certified Operator. By developing a concrete method of auditing and tracking, quality problem sources are identified as the problem occurs, not at the end of the line. “First piece-approval” will increase as will all other quality metrics. Final inspection becomes pro forma as organizational thinking graduates from defect detection to process-oriented prevention

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Analyze and evaluate how the time spent in final inspection actually increases the lead time;
2. Develop a plan to reposition quality into the production process and reduce or eliminate dependency on final inspection;
3. Develop and institute a Certified Operator program; and
4. Develop a plan to sustain the process.

Participants:

This class is for managers, supervisors, production planners, programmers, quality managers, cell leaders, and all others in the organization who are tasked with thinking and acting beyond the current quality process and into the proactive state of process-oriented prevention.

Breaking Through the Supply Chain

Course Description:

Goal: To teach participants from Tier 2, 3, and 4 supply organizations how to turn their Lean initiatives into positive bargaining tools to obtain cost reductions on raw materials, add increased value to their products, increase customer satisfaction, and continuously be in a growth mode.

Rationale: People in small companies often think they cannot negotiate with their suppliers because they have no leverage. This is not always the case. This class provides several models that will teach participants to use their Lean expertise as a negotiating tool and as a tool to increase competitiveness. It also provides valuable insights into what participants can do to leverage their Lean initiatives to grow business with current customers and at the same time aggressively recruit new ones.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

1. Examine current Lean initiatives as to how they can support (2) and (3) below;
2. Identify and skillfully and ethically exploit opportunities to work with material suppliers in negotiating price reductions;
3. Identify opportunities to work with current customers to further develop value added activities and obtain additional business; and
4. Prepare a supplementary plan estimating how current and additional Lean initiatives will be used to generate new business opportunities.

Participants:

This class is for owners, plant managers, purchasing managers, sales managers, financial officers, sales representatives, and all others responsible for creating opportunities up and down the supply chain for negotiating cost reductions and generating new business opportunities with current and new customers. .

Supervising Lean

Course Description:

Goal: To teach supervisors and managers the unique skills to needed to improve and accelerate their lean improvement initiatives through gaining the willing, committed involvement of all of the company’s employees.

Rationale: Managers and supervisors are continually “under the gun” to reduce production costs in every input-throughput-output category. They are caught in a balancing act in the middle…between achieving the results desired by senior management and stakeholders while meeting the working and environmental needs of the employees. They need to know how to successfully blend and employ every resource available.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Know the management styles applicable to the general arena of production-oriented operations;
2. Know when to shift from one style to another according to the demands of the situation;
3. Know when and how to delegate meaningfully;
4. Know how to win commitment to delegated work through employee input during planning; and
5. Know how to ensure a smooth work flow through goal setting, monitoring, adjusting, and evaluating.

Participants:

This class is designed for managers, supervisors, production planners, programmers, quality managers, cell leaders, and all others who are tasked with improving productivity, reducing lead times, and meeting target pricing demands while supervising people on the day-to-day tasks and meeting quality standards at every process step. This program will give participants the understanding and ability to gain employee commitment to the goals of the organization.

Creating Cells as Profit Centers

Course Description:

Goal: To teach participants a user-friendly system of cost accountability that is understandable, relevant, and useful to all members of the production team at the operating unit (cell) level.

Rationale: Continuous productivity improvement is the responsibility of every member of the organization. By analyzing production and other operating cells of the organization and organizing them into logical profit centers, costs and profits become understood and “owned” by the team members of those cells. This “ownership” is the foundation for an integrated performance appraisal and reward system that is based in reduced waste, increased profitability, and increased productivity at the cell level.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze the operational activities of their organization and organize those activities into logical operating cells;
2. Analyze and evaluate each cell’s direct and indirect relationship to costs and profits;
3. Initially lead cell team members through cell-specific cost/profit analysis;
4. Assist teams with initial plans to institute a visual, cell-specific cost/profit representational tool; and
5. Delegate primary cost/profit responsibility, reporting, and justification to cell team members.

Participants:

This class is for owners, plant managers, supervisors, and cell leaders to create an organization-wide involvement at the cell level in the containment of costs, the increase of productivity, and the increase of profitability.

The Lean Office

Course Description:

Goal: To teach clerical, administrative, and other non-production employees the necessary Lean principles and give them the “hands on” tools to eliminate waste and improve work flow and efficiency whether in an non-production area of one or a department of twelve.

Rationale: Running Lean in production areas is the first and largest step in productivity improvement; however, support people in clerical and administrative areas also impact the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. Running Lean has a measurable impact on clerical, administrative, and secondary activities such as reducing quote-to-order and order-to-release times, inventory control and management, and managing secondary operations such as warehousing, preventive maintenance, and others.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Understand how Lean principles apply to their areas of responsibility;
2. Understand that productivity and organizational well-being are interrelated across all functions;
3. Construct a Lean plan of action; and
4. Get approval of and implement the plan.

Lean Primer

Course Description:

Goal: To prepare the organization’s team to understand how critical the implementation of Lean principles and processes is to the short and long term economic health and success of an organization. The program also introduces the team to the 12 basic Lean tools as they relate to job shops, small manufacturers, and similar and allied organizations.

Rationale: The change process must be planned, communicated, understood, and implemented with the willing and enthusiastic participation of every member of the organization

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

1. Develop a training model through which to communicate Lean throughout the organization
2. Explain to the organization’s members the need for the adoption of the Lean philosophy and processes;
3. Teach a basic understanding of what Lean manufacturing encompasses; and
4. Teach others how to use the Lean tools that are relevant to the organization’s needs.

Participants:

This class has been designed for the for plant managers, general managers, owners, vice presidents of operations, production managers, supervisors, engineers, and all organizational associates who can and will contribute to the implementation of Lean.

Goals, Measurements, and Results

Course Description:

Goal: To teach participants a measurable, participative process through which all members of the organization commit to the achievement of specific, desirable organizational goals.

Rationale: People commit to attaining organizational goals when they understand that their effort and willing participation, when aided with achievable goals and expectations, are valuable inputs toward the desired outcome.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the need for the appropriate size teams as they relate to Lean projects;
2. Appraise their current measurement system to determine if it fits into the business overall management system;
3. Develop a business management system customized to their specific organization;
4. Develop a process to identify and eliminate non-productive activities; and
5. Summarize and communicate strategic plans, monitor progress, fine tune, and achieve desired results.

Participants:

This program has been designed for the for plant managers, general managers, owners, vice presidents of operations, production managers, supervisors, engineers , and any others who are responsible for moving the organization along a strategic direction and achieving desirable results. This program has been designed to actively involve people at all levels of the organization in meeting organizational objectives through top-down, bottom-up, and other methods of communication that contribute to goal achievement.

Making Standard Work, Work

Course Description:

Goal: To train participants to get total organizational commitment to and involvement in the process of standardizing and documenting policies and procedures and then committing to those policies and procedures.

Rationale: Formalized policies and procedures become the foundation documents for all future continuous improvement assessments, efforts, and activities. This class teaches straight-forward, practical, readily-applicable steps in getting people to commit to the spirit and intent of those policies and procedures. As a consequence, everyone in the organization has the same basis for critically reviewing the current standards and suggesting improvement activities for standard work.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Identify why standard work is critical to long-term, self-sustaining Lean efforts;
2. Construct standard work forms;
3. Identify and reduce or eliminate wasteful processes by using standard work forms as tools;
4. Apply standard work principles to both manufacturing and administrative areas; and
5. Apply the steps for standardizing work in their individual areas of responsibility.

Participants:

This class is designed for managers, supervisors, production personnel, and administrative staff, all of whom are responsible for increasing their productivity and the overall productivity of the organization. The program has been designed utilizing examples applicable to both production and administrative activities.

Managing Multiple Constraints

Course Description:

Goal: To teach managers and supervisors how interpret information that will help them predict, assess, and plan for possible workflow bottlenecks and logjams and thereby minimize their disruptive impact on the organization.

Rationale: All manufacturing organizations must carefully balance the resource input-throughput portion of the production process and the actual capacity of the existing system to maximize the throughput-product output portion without overloading the system. The key to maximizing output, high quality, customer delivery expectations, and organizational productivity and profitability is to assess the process, forecast or predict possible bottlenecks and logjams, and to create plans to ensure organizational maneuverability around or through them.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Develop an inclusive, user-friendly scheduling system that anticipates possible bottlenecks and logjams;
2. Prepare an initial, rules-based manufacturing strategy for their organization to eliminate potential constraints;
3. Know how job kitting can help eliminate potential constraints; and
4. Know how mass-customization can assist in generating new business.

Participants:

This class is for managers, supervisors, production planners, programmers, quality managers, and cell leaders. The information presented teaches participants how to work together as a team to analyze processes, predict potential bottlenecks and logjams, propose and select viable solutions, and develop proactive plans.

Performing at the Speed of Sight

Course Description:

Goal: To teach a productivity-enhancing process to decrease lead times by the adaptation and adoption of a visual control system.

Rationale: Accurately stating lead times and meeting delivery dates are critical to generating customer satisfaction and repeat business. A well-designed, visual control system aids in anticipating potential production bottlenecks thereby enhancing throughput and delivery.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Assess, update, change, or implement an organizational visual control system;
2. Develop a visual control system appropriate to the complexity of their processes; and
3. Design unique visual control tools to improve productivity and speed to market.

Participants:

This program is designed for managers, supervisors, production planners, quality managers, shipping and receiving personnel, and all other personnel who are responsible for improving efficiency and effectiveness from process input to product delivery.

Problem-Solving Made Simple

Course Description:

Goal: To teach participants proven problem-solving techniques which are applicable to simple and complex problems. They will learn to solve problems through individual efforts and as collaborative, cross-functional teams.

Rationale: Solving problems as they occur is mandatory for an organization if it wants to maintain competitiveness. This program introduces time-proven, successful techniques that allow problem-solving to be conducted by people at all stations in the work flow.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

1. Apply the problem-solving technique appropriate to the complexity of the problem;
2. Apply the tools appropriate to the problem-solving technique; and
3. Plan, conduct, summarize, and follow up on problem-solving meetings when teams are involved.

Participants:

This class is designed for managers, supervisors, and production personnel, all of whom are responsible for increasing personal and organizational productivity by solving problems as they occur.

Striving for Zero Set-Up

Course Description:

Goal: To teach a process to ensure that production and other organizational set-up times are continuously monitored, periodically reviewed, and formally changed and improved.

Rationale: Reducing set-up times is one of the most cost-effective improvement actions. Zero is the “setup time” goal for which all organizations, across all functions, must strive to increase competitiveness at little cost.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Analyze set-up times across the entire organization;
2. Develop and implement concrete measures to reduce set up times; and
3. Develop a formal, organization-wide process to continually monitor, review, and improve set-up times.

Participants:

The program is designed for managers, supervisors, production planners, programmers, quality managers, cell leaders, operators and all others who may have a positive impact on reducing set up times.

Turning MRP Off On the Shop Floor

Course Description:

Goal: To teach manufacturing personnel a reliable and cost-effective visual control system that moves parts through the value stream without flow disruption.

Rationale: MRP and ERP systems are powerful tools to assist managers and supervisors in scheduling and planning production requirements but are not encompassing enough to forecast what can and does happen routinely in production areas. By leaving MRP/ERP in the planning area, where it belongs, and supplementing MRP/ERP with a real-time, operator-friendly, visual cue and control system, throughput time can be improved and inventory can be reduced.

Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Assess the applicability of MRP/ERP systems as to how they aid flow in production areas;
2. Prepare a trial supplementary plan and create a process to communicate production requirements to production operators;
3. Develop actual, operator-friendly, real-time, supplementary, visual cue and control devices to monitor, schedule, and trigger work flow; and
4. Monitor and adjust visual cue and control system to integrate more uniformly with MRP/ERP.

Participants:

This class is for supervisors, production planners, cell leaders, and all others who are responsible for increasing productivity by improving throughput and decreasing inventory.