Local News & Events | Haas Factory Outlet

When Toyota developed its Total Production System (TPS), generally known as “Lean”, it identified 7 areas of waste that must be continuously monitored:

• Overproduction: Making more product than is needed at any one time.
• Waiting: When employees must wait for materials to arrive, machines to be repaired, or changeovers to be completed you’re wasting precious time and productivity suffers.
• Inventory: Too much Work-In-Progress ties up valuable time, money and materials.
• Transportation: How efficiently are you moving raw materials into the work area and finished parts to the customer?
• Over-processing: Pursuing perfection is admirable, but the goal is to meet the tolerance requirements, not go overboard trying to make a perfect part.
• Motion: Eliminating wasted motion is key throughout the entiremanufacturing process. For example, are the tools needed for part setups readily at hand? Or does the operator have to search for the proper equipment?
• Defects: Quality control should be built into the process using capable machine tools and inline measuring devices that eliminate the need for post process gauging.

It’s easy to see how keeping an eye on these 7 areas of waste can produce a much more efficient machining process. However unless everyone involved buys into the program, it’s virtually impossible to sustain a Lean environment. Here are 5 steps you can take to get your people on board:

1. Create a Lean culture: It starts with management demonstrating a commitment to the process through action. Identify a situation within your company that can be quickly improved through the application of the Lean principles. This could be a production issue, the way materials are received or even an office procedure. Use this as an example to help employees understand the process.
2. Explain the goal: People need to understand why they should care about any program. In this case explain that the goal of the entire organization is to create value for the customer by eliminating waste and inefficiencies.
3. Make it personal: Define the company’s overall goals with emphasis on the benefits to the employees of achieving these goals, such as greater job security, and more money available for continuing education and acquiring new equipment. Then explain how Lean is essential for achieving these goals.
4. Develop a plan: Determine how you will make Lean a regular part of every employees workday.
5. Remove obstacles: Employees need to know that if they see a possible opportunity to improve a process they will be heard and their ideas will be considered. Make sure all supervisors welcome these suggestions and don’t treat them as interruptions.

By implementing these 5 steps a CNC machine shop can expect to enjoy greater productivity, more satisfied customers and more engaged and fulfilled employees. Which means that Lean can lead to a fatter bottom line.