About this website
This website was created as non-commercial online library containing
various information related to TOC (Theory of Constraints), lean manufacturing, agile
manufacturing, kaizen, kanban, inventory reduction, 5S, POOGI (process of ongoing
improvements) etc.
Often I am sharing this kind of information with my friends or
colleagues. Before I sent them links or articles by mail. But I feel it would be more
comfortable for both to share it through this website. Easy for me to update the web and
easy for the others to access information anywhere anytime.
The site was created in November 2004. Even I am quite busy I try to
update this web at least weekly.
Since the beginning of 2005 I run WIP reduction project in our company.
Within 4 weeks we have reduced WIP to 15-70% of the value before and we still continue. I
will share my experience with you. They are very simple and they really work. Cost is
almost zero, just changing policy, rules, operator's mind.
What's new
January 13, 2007
Updated page about project
management software
January 4, 2007
Updated version of our utility Acex StopWatch.
December 9,2006
In Microsoft Visio 2007 there is a template for Value Stream Mapping.
July 23, 2006
Today we released utility Acex StopWatch. This is simple but very useful
utility for process engineers or supervisors helping them to measure processes and
balance their line, which bring benefit in increased output. Enjoy. Let us know your
comments if you have.
April 24, 2006
New Lean book
May 1, 2005
New Lean books
April 18, 2005
The
last is Condition No 8 by Norman Bodek: To make the flow clean
Terms used by Mr. Hirano are:
"Turbulent flow" used for a job shop when each item produced
could be different.
“Tidy flow” used when products are produced in repetitive
manufacturing when the line is “clean” and items are produced without defects,
in takt time, in one-piece flow.
“Muddy flow” when parts are pushed forward from ...... Read
here
April 13, 2005
Condition
for flow manufacturing No 7 by Norman Bodek: Synchronization
Please consider viewing your future production facility in one-piece-flow.
Try not to find reasons why it can't be done. Just feel that it is possible and
slowly continuously improving every day, believe it can happen. Mr. Ohno simply
focused on reducing inventory, reducing the batch size. As often written about him,
he looked at inventory like a river covering all of the manufacturing problems: defective
parts, machine problems, supplier delays, long set-ups, worker absenteeism, missing and
faulty tools and jigs, etc. With excess inventory, with large batch sizes, factory
problems like bad parts were simply discarded and you used another one from the excess
inventory. With lots of available inventory you were never really forced to get to
the root causes of those problems... Read
here
April 9, 2005
WIP reduction rule No. 1: Set
up WIP value max. limit
Maybe there is not manufacturing company without WIP reduction activities or even
WIP reduction projects. The reduction of work in process seems to be very popular tool for
improving company overall performance in order to cut the manufacturing leadtimes,
increase flexibility, reduce cost and improve quality. I know there are many articles
related to WIP inventory reduction. But almost all are written by consultants :)
There are also well known tools to reduce inventory. The most popular are kanban and DBR
by Goldratt.
I am running WIP reduction activity in our company and I would like to summarize my
experience, trials and fails, and of course results, and to document the way how we
achieved the WIP reduction to reduce WIP to with help of many colleagues from several
departments.
I think it might be usefull for you to read about our way.
The first step to reduce WIP inventory is to understand what is the actual level of WIP
(WIP = work in process).
You might think it is an easy job for you. You will just look into the information system
and it will tell you instant WIP value for any manufacturing line with the accurancy up to
2 decimal points as you use very expensive system.
But if you check the same figure a few hours later or if you do the next day, the
situation might be totally different like in the chart below. In fact the WIP value is
usually unstable. Look at the chart bellow. It is a part of one of our charts showing us
WIP value at the end of each day... Read here
April 3, 2005
The
6th condition for flow manufacturing: To bring up the degree of processing
one by one
March 28, 2005
The
4th condition for flow production: Working by standing
The
5th condition: Multi-process operation·multi-skill operator
March 11, 2005
The
3rd condition for flow production (lean concept): Make U-shape line /
parallel line
February 28, 2005
Added big link directory, you'll find everything there
February 26, 2005
Eight
conditions for flow production
Very interesting topic, don't miss it.
February 06, 2005
Read an interesting interview with Mr.Goldratt
January 29, 2005
Kaizen
Tip No. 6: Keep the line height at the same level
January 15, 2005
Kaizen
Tip No. 4: Use small information board at the mfg. line
Kaizen Tip
No. 5: Limit the height of material of finish goods stored in the process
January 14, 2005
Updated Glossary
December 30, 2004
Kaizen
Tip No. 3: Set your line to follow the process flow
December 30, 2004
Kaizen
Tip No. 2: Keep in production area only necessary things
December 30, 2004
Kaizen Tip
No. 1: Shop floor layout
Since today I will release series of Kaizen tips. It might help you to start think about
your factory from the different angle. An each tip is a very simple message just to help
you open your eyes.
December 28, 2004
How to get PDF from IBM AS/400 or
iSeries cheap and easy
I will share with you cheap solution for getting PDF from IBM AS/400 (iSeries) based
systems. Why to spend money for expensive solutions when there is cheap one and it works.
Enjoy!
December 19, 2004
How to get Vendor Rating from
Mapics data - cheap and easy
Personally I hate complicated and expensive solutions. Everytime I try to find out how to
reach the target with low cost, easy-to-do and easy-to-use solution.
One of the issues I had to solve was to set up something giving to purchasing dept.
"Vendors Rating" information to keep ISO/TS requirements. Some data could be
found in MRP system Mapics XA6 but
some like history of purchase prices were not.
Maybe somebody will solve the same or similar solution. Read the article
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