Customer Value is a term that underlies the fact that the value of any given process step or output is defined by the customer. They key is to define what is of value to the customer and focus the process outputs and improvement efforts to provide that value. For a…
Changeover time is the measurement of the cycle time from the moment the last good part of the previous process is produced to the moment first good part of the subsequent process is produced. Reducing changeover time is a key component of implementing a pull production system which operates with…
Changeover Reduction is the practice of dramatically reducing or eliminating the time to change from one method or unit to another. This concept is also known as Set-up Reduction or Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) where the goal is to reduce the changeover time to single digits or under…
Batching is the practice of making large lots of a particular item to gain economic efficiencies. Although the assumption is that it increases efficiency, batching increases total cycle time and increases the waste of waiting both internally and for the customer. Batching is considered the opposite of the concept of…
The 8 Wastes refer to a list of issues that get in the way of process flow and cause stagnation. The list consists of Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-Utilized Talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Extra-Processing. The idea of process improvement is to identify and remove all forms of waste from a…
The Leader Process Walk means going to where the work actually occurs. The Leader Process Walk is designed to build process focus and leverage Visual Management Tools. It allows leaders to engage in repetitive activities that identify abnormal situations. The Leader creates an effective learning model and reserves times to observe…
Perfection is the concept of reflecting the iterative and continuous nature of process improvement. Process participants are expected to pursue perfection by conducting successive cycles of Plan, Do, Study, Act or applying the phases of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control in an effort to reach greater levels control, productivity and…
Standard Work is a precise explanation of the current best practices for carrying out the steps of a process. It is a key component of Continuous Improvement since it supports the reduction of variation in how a process or process is performed. This addresses the problem of process…
A Kaizen Event is also known as a Rapid Improvement Event. Kaizen is a Japanese word that combines the ideas of “change” and “goodness” which basically translates to “improve for the better.” In practice a Kaizen is a Rapid Improvement Event that generally spans from 1 to 5 days and…
