Synerflex Consulting

A lot of people is asking “What is Lean Manufacturing?” And, there are still people having the misconception that Lean Manufacturing is a cost improvement program by cutting headcounts or workers. This is totally wrong.

Lean Manufacturing used to known as Toyota Production System (TPS) or JIT manufacturing and many other names as well. Originally Toyota Production System developed by Sakichi Toyoda in Japan, lean manufacturing focus on creating value and eliminating wastes. In the original Lean Manufacturing model or Toyota House of Quality, there are two important pillars – Jidoka and Just-In-Time. The main focus of Jidoka is to ensure that product produced is of good quality and if there is any defects or problems, the operations will stop to rectify the issues. Click this link to learn more about Jidoka definition in my previous blog.

The other pillar – Just In Time (JIT) focuses on making the material or product flows to ensure the operation has the right quantity at the right time. And, one of the Lean Manufacturing tools that Toyota used to control JIT is Kanban pull system. (Click here to learn more about Kanban card system) By applying Lean Manufacturing principle in your operations, you will be able to significantly lowers waste and enhances productivity on the factory floor.

Ultimately, Lean manufacturing is to create a working culture of getting everyone involved to identify and eliminate waste (non-value-added activities) through continuous improvement or kaizen in pursuit of perfection. To learn more about Lean Manufacturing, click here to download one of my recorded Lean seminar (worth USD$97) for FREE.

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Lean Manufacturing by Andrew Cheah