Lean Into It (Part 2)

Practical applications for modern manufacturing solutions that fix real-world problems

Many manufacturers today find themselves at a pivot point: recognizing the power and potential of sophisticated new technologies, but hesitant to fully commit to something without a clearer understanding of exactly what—and exactly how—this new generation of specialized tools can solve their problems. With that in mind, this four-part series is designed to explore the practical realities of how leading manufacturing tools and technologies combat the eight “wastes” defined by Lean manufacturing. The aim of this blog is twofold: 1) To move a discussion that all too often focuses on the theoretical into the realm of tangible difference-making, and 2) For anyone who reads these pieces to walk away with a deeper understanding of how these tools can make a meaningful difference in their production environment.

Part one of this series covered the first two letters in the DOWNTIME acronym: Defects and Overproduction. This piece will dig into the next two classic wastes: Waiting and Not utilizing talent.

Waste #3: Waiting

One of the many potential unwanted consequences of overproduction is a loss of efficiency due to waiting. Any time that an operator spends waiting for a sub-assembly to finish is time spent not assembling or producing products—in other words, wasted time. Waiting is often a symptom of an unbalanced production line or even a standalone bench where procedural inefficiencies occur, leaving operators waiting for parts or materials to arrive before proceeding.

One of the defining advantages of leading connected process control solutions is their ability to deliver detailed timing metrics down to the task level. The best systems make it possible for engineers and administrators alike to see how long each task takes to perform in a given operation. That data reveals which operators are over- or under-burdened (and by how much) while also making it possible to refine processes, responsibilities, and personnel in order to optimize workflow and minimize waiting This information also helps ensure that operators with clearly identified strengths are deployed in situations where they are most likely to excel and succeed. When implemented correctly, connected process control technologies have a dramatic impact on both people and processes, improving time utilization and drastically reducing wasteful waiting.

Refine processes with drag-and-drop task rebalancing

Waste #4: Not utilizing talent

Failing to get the most out of your talent is a challenge for many manufacturers, particularly at a time when labor market fluctuations can make recruiting and retention issues an enormously costly line item. The flexible, customizable, hands-on training available with connected process control solutions allows both new and existing employees to absorb information and master skills at a dramatically higher rate. By leveraging the unique training capabilities of these platforms (including operator-specific skills-based training modules and stations that mirror real-world production environments), manufacturers can make eye-opening leaps forward in training times and efficacy. Real-world case studies have seen manufacturers cut onboarding training from several weeks or even months down to a week or less, as well as reducing upskilling or refresher training from several days down to a single day. The quantifiable, downstream impact of less downtime, fewer errors, better quality, and greater efficiency results in both improved employee performance and a greater ROI on training programs.

In part three of this series, we will move on to the next two DOWNTIME wastes, Transportation and Inventory excess, taking a closer look at how leading technology solutions can effectively address those pain points.

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