What do you do if your business is struggling with waste and low productivity?

Lean methodology tanslates to reducing waste and improving productivity. Taichi Ohno was the one who elaborated regarding wastes and how and why wastes needs to be removed or reduced to improve productivity. So the point there are 8 wastes according to which can be reduced to improve productivity. Identifying and working on those wastes can surely improve productivity.

Primeiro, realizo uma análise detalhada dos processos usando ferramentas como o mapeamento de fluxo de valor (VSM) para identificar gargalos e desperdícios. Em seguida, implemento a metodologia Lean para eliminar atividades que n?o agregam valor. Utilizo o ciclo PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) para planejar mudan?as, executá-las em pequena escala, verificar os resultados e ajustar conforme necessário. Adicionalmente, adoto a metodologia Six Sigma para melhorar a qualidade e reduzir a variabilidade nos processos. Ferramentas como o diagrama de Ishikawa e o método 5S ajudam a identificar e resolver problemas de raiz. Invisto também em treinamento contínuo para a equipe, promovendo uma cultura de melhoria contínua.

First step is to understand where are your main wastes, and with this analysis, start creating projects to reduce the wastes. It’s very important to discover where are the greatest wastes, so you can direct the projects to solve them and get a better saving for the company.

If your business is struggling with waste and low productivity, it is important to first identify the root causes of these issues. Conduct a thorough assessment of your operations to pinpoint areas where waste is being generated and productivity is lagging. Implementing lean management practices and continuous improvement strategies can help streamline processes, reduce waste, and increase efficiency. Additionally, investing in employee training and engagement can boost morale and productivity levels. Collaborating with suppliers and partners to find innovative solutions for waste reduction can also make a significant impact.

For non-manufacturing business sections, the 7 waste may not be easy to be directly used. Hence take a step back and identify what is value added versus non-value added to the customer of that section. Find the common categories and create your own list of waste that should be eliminated. This allows you to get everyone onboard and eases them to identify what is waste in their processes.

Absolutely, identifying waste is the crucial first step in Lean Manufacturing. Waste, defined as any activity that consumes resources without adding value to the customer, can manifest in various forms, commonly referred to as the 'Seven Wastes': overproduction, waiting, transporting, inappropriate processing, unnecessary inventory, unnecessary motion, and defects. Through a comprehensive analysis of operations, businesses can pinpoint where these wastes occur and develop strategies to eliminate them. By doing so, processes can be streamlined, leading to increased efficiency and reduced costs, ultimately enhancing overall competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

Developing the Business Processes or Workflows is usually the top priority task that is in the Implementation Plan. If the Implementation Plan is the game plan, the Business Processes are the actual plays for the team. Each step of each business process has a responsible person who is responsible for completing each particular step. Some steps contain others that may be informed and/or consulted.

Once the sources of waste have been identified, it's crucial to map out the processes involved in production or service delivery in detail. Process mapping helps understand how work is being done and identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies. Tools like process flow diagrams, VSM, Time analysis and Pareto charts can be used to visualize and analyze processes. For instance, a logistics company might map out workflow in its warehouse to identify areas where products are moving slowly due to inefficient layouts or complicated workflows.

After processes have been mapped, it's time to implement measures to improve efficiency and reduce waste. A common approach is implementing the 5S methodology: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. For example, a manufacturing company might implement 5S in its production line to organize tools and materials, reducing time wasted searching for essential items.

In addition to implementing specific improvements, it's essential to embrace a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization. This involves encouraging employees to identify and solve problems proactively and collaboratively. Tools such as Kaizen and statistical data analysis can help drive this process. For example, a software company might hold regular Kaizen meetings where developers can discuss ways to improve the software development process and reduce time to market for new products.

To drive efficiency and productivity, it's important to empower teams to make decisions and solve problems autonomously. This can be achieved by providing training in problem-solving tools like the Five Whys or A3 of Lean Manufacturing and promoting a culture of accountability and empowerment. For instance, a customer service team might be empowered to make quick decisions to resolve customer issues, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Prepare a systematic roadmap starting from - What to improve?, through a Value Stream Map. Start with the constraint resource - to eliminate MUDA, MURA, MURI, do implement 5S across the organization and a culture of 'Focussed Improvement'. Start pilot projects in areas where users can feel and see the improvements quickly and solves some of the chronic problems. Launch Lean / TPM tools progressively, in a systematic but a step by step process. Employee involvement is the the key for the sustainance of improvements and ensure that most of the improvement ideas & implementation come from the employees themselves. Do give them credit - emotionally and monitorily. A leader should hold back his urge to give solutions, all by himself!

Finally, to ensure that implemented improvements are generating tangible results, it's crucial to continuously measure and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs). This allows for evaluating the impact of changes and making adjustments as needed. Tools such as control charts and variance analysis are helpful for visualizing and analyzing performance data. For example, a financial services company might track indicators such as average transaction processing time and error rate to assess the success of its improvement initiatives.

We should accept whatever be the process there will be a waste. 1.actively listen 2.Be open to feedback 3.accept the gaps in process 4.develop action plan to improve gaps 5.sustain 6 Repeat cycle as a part of kaizen everytime there will be continous improvement to make organization grow and we learn in it too

We can talk about many lean tools like 5S 7W etc. However, the fundamental principle of any lean organization is "Flow". Ryan Tierney in his "Lean made simple"podcast has explained this concept extremely well. According to him, everything should be in the flow state. Anywhere there is no flow, there is a potential to improve. So all we are doing as business leaders and managers is to improve the flow. Paul Akers in his "2 second Lean" book has explained the same concept as well. According to him we should ask one question "what bugs you" and then try to find the answer, how to fix that.

1.Waste is there in all areas of business. It is not alone in production. So techniques and tools that we deploy in production for waste elimination need to be applied across the organisation. 2.Head count reduction should not be the first thing to be considered for cost reduction. People are the assets. This will improve the situation temporarily but will demoralise the people badly in the long run. 3.Continuous improvement in removing the waste must be way of life. If that is done day in day out, waste will not get accumulated. Organisations wake up after lot of waste accumulation. 4.Rotate the P-D-C-A cycle frequently to be on top of the issues and solve them, then and there.

Do an overall diagnostic to establish the facts and scale of the issue, bring in an outside expert to get an objective outside-in viewpoint, engage with key members in the business to ensure a balanced perspective, and identify the proposed course of action prioritising to achieve greatest impact with the least intervention. This can then be shared with the leadership team, quantifying the benefits, timeline and investment required. Meanwhile lead by example and engage in resolving a noted area of waste in the business, using some standard improvement tools, to assess reality and cross check the perceived benefits. There are some great automation tools out there that can streamline repetitive tasks and free up creativity space for us all