Lean

[skiergirl]

We implemented this in a few of our Millwork shops at our company last year...I didn't know anything about it until then. Great concept and I can see the benefit but our company found the return was not showing up enough on the P&L to justify continuing it.

[CrazyKell]

It's funny because I work across the road from the Toyota plant...and that's all I'm reading about right now.

[Rider]

Constant process improvement. I personally think it's a waste of time. They spend more time on the training and implementing new processes, that your overall labor costs remain about the same. I know a lot of companies base their decisions on who to use as a supplier simply because they are Lean or Six Sigma certified. It's bullshit. Of course if I told my department manager that he'd quickly show me to the nearest exit.

[CrazyKell]

Originally Posted by Rider

They spend more time on the training and implementing new processes,

They're not doing it right if this is the result.

You gotta admit....Toyota was onto something.

[Gas Man]

Please explain

[skiergirl]

Originally Posted by Rider

Constant process improvement. I personally think it's a waste of time. They spend more time on the training and implementing new processes, that your overall labor costs remain about the same.

That is the main reason the bean-counters decided to pull the group off of this project. It certainly can be beneficial but you do have to put a lot of man-hours into meetings, implementing, creating reporting of some kind to measure it's effectiveness, etc. The basic principles of it really should be common sense to running any profitable business. When you being spending too much money analyzing and creating ways to be more efficient you end up being counter-productive to the goal.

[neebelung]

Yeah we just went through a corporate wide Lean initiative in October/November of last year, and we've had several Kaizen events (though I went through a weeklong class to learn about the principles, I've not yet been on any of teams doing the events).

[racedoll]

We practice Lean, Kaizen, 5s, Six Sigma, and anything of the others were I work. It is something we have done for probably... 7 years or so.

It is amazing at what I think is commonplace (not sure that is the right word) only to find out it is relatively new to most companies.

We spend a lot of time trying to implement new things, but I think that some of the improvements are well worth it. Personally we spent more time moving machines around for this reason or that, mostly not related to Lean/Kaizen but management changing their minds.

[101lifts2]

Saturn Corp. implemented this in 1990 on its Saturn line and for some reason Toyota gets the credit from theirr New United Motor Manufacturing Plant in 1998. Besides, Ford had this theory as with others long long ago. Toyota prolly just refined it.

[CrazyKell]

Originally Posted by 101lifts2

Saturn Corp. implemented this in 1990 on its Saturn line and for some reason Toyota gets the credit from theirr New United Motor Manufacturing Plant in 1998. Besides, Ford had this theory as with others long long ago. Toyota prolly just refined it.

Actually, the LEAN book talks all about Ford. Toyota is the one that put a name on it and actually did something with it. Lean may have it's origins in Ford but you'd be hard pressed to sell ANYONE on the fact that they use it correctly.