Your organization is striving for Lean Manufacturing. How can you ensure that every level is on board?

Un aspecto clave para que las personas se sumen al movimiento del lean manufacturing es la escucha activa. Escuchar las inquietudes y los problemas del dia a día del personal de fábrica no solo genera ideas, también genera compromiso. Como agentes del cambio, es nuestro trabajo filtrar y reconducir todas esas ideas para hacerlos participes de las soluciones generando así que ellos mismos sean los que defiendan la mejora. Con esta metodología no solo conseguirás mejorar el proceso, los harás guardianes de él, creando valor y generando satisfacción en el cliente y en el trabajador.

Top-Level Support: Senior leadership must fully embrace Lean principles and demonstrate commitment through actions, not just words. They should actively participate in Lean initiatives, leading by example. Clear Vision and Goals: Communicate the vision for Lean Manufacturing clearly and ensure it aligns with the organization’s overall strategy. Everyone should understand why Lean is important and how it benefits the business. Set Lean Goals: Establish specific, measurable Lean goals for each level of the organization, from leadership to shop floor employees, so that everyone understands their role in achieving these objectives.

We must focus on three core principles: Clear Communication: Leaders must clearly communicate the goals and benefits of Lean at every stage, ensuring transparency and alignment. When everyone understands the why behind the change, they’re more likely to commit. Empowerment at Every Level: Encourage teams to take ownership of Lean initiatives. When individuals are empowered to suggest and implement improvements, it fosters a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and applaud small successes. This keeps momentum going and motivates everyone to stay engaged in refining processes. By working together, we can ensure that Lean isn't just a top-down directive but a shared vision for excellence.

Implementing Lean manufacturing is not a one-time project but a long-term cultural shift that emphasizes continuous improvement and value creation. To build a successful Lean culture, it requires strong leadership commitment, where executives not only champion the Lean philosophy but also set clear goals and provide the necessary resources for implementation. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) must be established to measure progress and align with Lean objectives. Employees at all levels need to be trained in Lean concepts and empowered to identify inefficiencies, contribute to problem-solving, and be involved in decision-making processes.

To successfully implement Lean, it’s crucial to involve employees at all levels early on. Engaging staff in decision-making, explaining the benefits of Lean for both the company and their daily work, and fostering a sense of ownership are key strategies.

El primer enfoque debe ser en el entrenamiento de un equipo definido para la implementación de la mejora continua y de la cultura lean. Después, reforzar con juntas semanales donde se involucren diferentes áreas para mostrar los objetivos de los proyectos y los beneficios que traerá a la compa?ía. Por último, el reconocimiento al logro de los proyectos implementados generará un ambiente propositivo y activo en búsqueda de la mejora continua.

Understand the WHY is crucial to get the ball rolling. When team learns the HOW, they build knowledge and start to bring something to the table is when they become more confident: while good habits, stay motivated and continue to improve.

Treinamentos e capacitac?o contínua é fundamental para o sucesso da implanta??o do sistema Lean. é necessário que eles sejam bem específicos e adaptados aos diversos níveis da organiza??o. Trabalhei numa empresa que tinha uma Matriz de Capacita??o, que continham os treinamentos (internos e externos) e módulos de auto treinamento, semestral. No final do semestre era verificado a porcentagem de atingimento de 70% destes matrizes. Isso era fundamental para ter todos os funcionários conhecedores do processo, atingindo um alto indíce de padroniza??o das atividades. Apenas um exemplo bem sucedido de uma gigante multinacional, que consegue criar especialistas e multiplicadores de boas práticas.

Programas de treinamento s?o ferramentas poderosas para capacitar os colaboradores e acelerar a implementa??o de melhorias em qualquer organiza??o. Eles devem ser estruturados de acordo com as necessidades específicas da empresa, com módulos que equilibrem teoria e prática, garantindo a aplica??o direta no gemba. Ao desenvolver um programa, é essencial abordar tanto o desenvolvimento técnico, como o uso de ferramentas Lean, quanto o desenvolvimento comportamental, promovendo uma mentalidade de melhoria contínua. Além disso, os treinamentos devem ser dinamicos, interativos e envolver todos os níveis da organiza??o, desde a lideran?a até os operadores.

Start by making sure everyone understands how it ties into their daily work. Customize the training to different levels within the organization so it's relevant to them, and provide hands-on opportunities to apply what they learn. When the training program is practical and engaging, you'll see faster adoption and lasting results.

To promote an inclusive Lean Manufacturing culture, it's essential to engage both the emotions and intellect of employees. Lean training should be woven into daily tasks to ensure practical relevance for each role, while co-creating initiatives with employees promotes ownership and accountability. Leaders must model Lean behaviors, celebrating small wins to encourage continuous improvement. Measurable goals should support both operational success and personal growth. Lean tools like Value Stream Mapping and Kanban can be used to emotionally connect employees to the transformation, while empathetically addressing concerns to show how Lean improves job satisfaction and reduces frustrations, embedding it into the culture.

Cultivar a cultura de melhoria contínua é fundamental para sustentar o sucesso de qualquer iniciativa, como o Lean Manufacturing ou o WCM. Isso come?a com o exemplo da lideran?a, que deve estar engajada e presente no ch?o de fábrica, mostrando o compromisso com as mudan?as. Promover uma comunica??o clara e transparente é crucial para que todos compreendam o “porquê” das a??es e se sintam parte da jornada. Outro aspecto é valorizar as pequenas vitórias e reconhecer o esfor?o dos colaboradores, refor?ando comportamentos que impulsionam a transforma??o. Incentivar o aprendizado constante e criar um ambiente seguro para sugest?es e experimenta??es também s?o formas de manter viva a cultura de melhoria.

This means leading by example, encouraging continuous improvement, and making sure that Lean principles are embedded in how everyone works every day. When you foster a culture that values problem-solving and efficiency, Lean becomes second nature across the entire organization.

Open communication is important, everybody should feel safe to speak up if they’re not aligned with the task at hand. Reward and recognition are as important if not even more: celebrate the small wins, reward the contributing members will not just make them proud (and keen to do more), but pushes the others to get recognised as well. It’s a positive cycle, that fuels and accelerates the improvement further.

Uma coisa que achei útil e pude viver na prática é a implementa??o de programas que recompensam os funcionários com um programa cumulativo de pontos por melhorias implantadas. Quanto maior o impacto positivo gerado pela melhoria, maior a premia??o.

1. Hoshin Kanri: Use this strategic planning tool to align long-term objectives with day-to-day operations, ensuring everyone is working towards the same Lean goals. 2. SMART Goals: Set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals at every level. 3. Benchmarking: Compare your performance with industry leaders to set performance standards. 4. SWOT Analysis: Assess Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to create a roadmap for Lean implementation. 5. Porter's 5 Forces: Evaluate external pressures like competition and supplier power to refine strategies. 6. Continuous Training: Engage all levels with Lean training, focusing on understanding and practicing Lean principles.

Metas realistas s?o um pilar essencial no Lean Manufacturing, pois elas impulsionam melhorias contínuas sem sobrecarregar sua equipe. Metas exageradas podem gerar estresse, afetar a qualidade e comprometer o engajamento, enquanto metas alcan?áveis mantêm o foco e a motiva??o. Com o alinhamento de metas realistas que equilibram desafios com a capacidade operacional, promove-se uma evolu??o contínua e sustentável. Ao estabelecer objetivos claros e alcan?áveis, conseguimos motivar as equipes a otimizar seus processos sem comprometer a qualidade ou causar sobrecarga.

Treinamento de toda a for?a laboral é base para o sucesso, muito investimento na mudan?a de culturas err?neas enraizadas, tempo para assimilar essa mudan?a e constancia... O brasileiro precisa saber que sem estudo n?o há progresso, passa o tempo tentando mudar o outro sem olhar que ele é o problema.

Start by making sure leadership's vision matches the day-to-day objectives of every team. When everyone understands how their goals support the bigger picture, it’s easier to drive progress and keep the momentum going. Alignment creates clarity, and clarity leads to results.

Planning from top down is a straighforward way to align goals. Each sub-division creates their metrics/specific targets that contributes to the one level broader oranization’s goals. On a lower/team level is the same: how they can contribute in their daily work that adds up to that module/department level goals is important. Make it very specific, make it a bit strech (but not overstretched).

Implementing Lean successfully requires strong accountability systems. Make sure there are clear expectations at every level and that people know who’s responsible for what. Regular check-ins and performance metrics can help track progress and keep everyone on the same page. Accountability systems ensure that Lean practices stick and deliver long-term results.

If the goals are well defined, and aligned with the higher level KPis in the previous step, this should not be that difficult. A scorecard (personal) of some kind, with weekly/monthly tracking will help to keep things moving. A regular review of that scorecard with the employee can establish a good way to connect in-person, but also hold someone accountable or praise for good results.

When you celebrate the people who are driving improvement, it reinforces the behaviors you want to see across the organization. Whether it’s a simple shout-out or a more formal reward, recognizing progress boosts morale and keeps the momentum going.

Como logras involucramiento? Involucrando a todos! La iniciativa Lean debe partir de la estrategia de la organización para que de inicio puedan ser alineados e involucrados todos los departamentos o áreas de la organización. Además todas las iniciativas deben realizarse en todas las áreas para que ninguna se sienta marginada, por ejemplo si vamos a capacitar en reducción de mudas, todas las áreas deben tener esta capacitación, de lo contrario no se sentirán parte de la iniciativa. Algo que me ha funcionado para involucrar a todas las áreas es realizar Gemba Walk, en cada área, departamento, oficina, esto hace que los colaboradores se sientan involucrados, escuchados y ven el compromiso e involucramiento de la alta dirección y gerencias.