What are some of the best practices and pitfalls of lean manufacturing in different industries and contexts?

1 Manufacturing Services

Manufacturing services are businesses that provide custom or contract manufacturing for other companies. They often have to deal with diverse customer requirements, fluctuating demand, and changing specifications. Lean manufacturing can help them reduce costs, improve flexibility, and enhance customer satisfaction. Some of the best practices for manufacturing services are: using value stream mapping to identify and eliminate waste, implementing pull systems and kanban cards to manage inventory and flow, applying 5S and visual management to organize and standardize the workplace, and adopting continuous improvement and problem-solving methods to address issues and opportunities. Some of the pitfalls to avoid are: overemphasizing cost reduction at the expense of quality and delivery, neglecting customer feedback and communication, and resisting change and innovation.

2 Batch Production

Batch production is a method of manufacturing where a group of similar or identical products are made in a single run. It is often used for products that have high variety, low volume, or seasonal demand. Lean manufacturing can help batch production achieve higher efficiency, quality, and flexibility. Some of the best practices for batch production are: using mixed-model production to balance the product mix and reduce setup time, implementing single-minute exchange of die (SMED) to minimize changeover time and downtime, applying cellular manufacturing to arrange machines and workers in a logical sequence, and using Poka-Yoke to prevent errors and defects. Some of the pitfalls to avoid are: producing too many or too few batches, creating excess inventory or stockouts, and ignoring customer demand and variation.

3 Job Shop

Job shop is a type of manufacturing where each product is made to order according to the customer's specifications. It is often used for products that have high customization, low volume, or high complexity. Lean manufacturing can help job shop improve quality, delivery, and customer value. Some of the best practices for job shop are: using concurrent engineering to integrate design and production processes, implementing quick response manufacturing (QRM) to reduce lead time and increase responsiveness, applying theory of constraints (TOC) to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, and using lean six sigma to reduce variation and improve performance. Some of the pitfalls to avoid are: accepting unrealistic or unprofitable orders, overloading or underutilizing resources, and compromising quality or safety standards.

4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?