"I say an hour lost at a bottleneck is an hour out of the entire system. I say an hour saved at a non-bottleneck is worthless. Bottlenecks govern both
[VIDEO] Improving Flow With Bottleneck Analysis
One of the most serious causes of workflow process breakdowns is bottlenecks. When efficiency is crucial to an workflow process, a bottleneck can
[TED Talk] The Next Manufacturing Revolution
The US has been facing a loss of its manufacturing edge over the past few decades to other global manufacturers. The fact is that automation and
Heijunka Leveling Production Over Time
After value streams have been solidified and embedded, Heijunka is a crucial process implementation in every successful lean organization. Heijunka
[VIDEO] Heijunka Brings Customer Demand In Line
Heijunka is the Japanese term for leveling. It is a technique for reducing unevenness (Mura) which in turn reduces waste (Muda). It is crucial to the
Demand Management Creates a Balance Between Supply and Demand
Demand Management allows an organization to create a more efficient supply chain. The best way to create efficiency is through transparency and
[VIDEO] The Challenges of Demand Management
The function of recognizing all demands for goods and services to support the marketplace. It involves prioritizing demand when supply is lacking.
Theory of Constraints Addresses Weakest Link
The Theory of Constraints (TOC) adopts the common idiom that "a chain is no stronger than its weakest link and refers to the understanding that
Visual Management is the Key to Communicating
One of the most significant parts of Lean manufacturing is Visual Management. It is truly one of the most overlooked, but simplest tools available to