You're facing bottlenecks in Lean Manufacturing. How can you sustain progress over the long haul?

Adding my 2 cents While organizations have made considerable progress in applying Lean and Theory of Constraints (ToC) principles to identify and address bottlenecks—often with the guidance of Operational Excellence (OE) subject matter experts—there is still room to more fully optimize resources. In some cases, decision-makers may lean towards capital investments when faced with capacity challenges, rather than sweating out the resources. It could be beneficial for leaders in certain industries to consider fostering a greater risk appetite and focusing on building the motivation and capabilities of their teams, enabling them to address capacity issues more effectively without always relying on additional capex.

You should follow the steps 1. if you know takt and if the bottle neck is not affecting takt you don't need to do anything 2. If the takt is known and the bottleneck is identified, try to improve it 3. You cannot improve the bottleneck if there are defects which are not controlled. Because of defects bottlenecks get shifted. 4. Planning, supply chain, rejection , man power non availability, machines, design changes, customer specifications changes, machine done time, is also shifts / create bottle neck. 5. If you are in high mix low volume capacity mapping or bottleneck analysis is useless. You need to learn the PFAST , DFA, and group technology.

3 words - Value Stream Map! A really important and often overlooked tool that should be every organisations starting point when trying to visualise and identify process bottlenecks and waste.

In my experience, when a bottleneck appears in a new production line, we must measure and create a KPI with and without a bottleneck. Only with continuous monitoring and knowing the impact of the bottleneck on the final result will we be able to create effective and efficient action plans, review results and continuous improvement. A real KPI with the bottlenecks and a KPI with the scenario that the lost time has been resolved, translating into annual savings, economic impact on the monthly budget, will help to continue with new proposals that are increasingly challenging and innovative.

Según mi experiencia no siempre es necesario tener una reducción del tiempo en el cuello de botella, lo que siempre es una busqueda continua es hacerlos lo más ágiles posibles, la optimización de los recursos es una prioridad para tener procesos que realmente nos ofrezcan una máxima utilidad en los mismos.

After we impement load balancing analysis, we can compare all the figure to takt time as our guidance to streamlining our process. Takt time are voice of customer (customer demand) that convert to pace of process time. Flow the process where we can make flow, and implement kanban where we can't flow the process.

Ya identificado el cuello de botella y teniendo mapeado el proceso completo, lo siguiente es dise?ar en papel el nuevo balanceo del proceso completo empezando por la estación afectada, de ahí, se empiezan a mover los procesos cercanos o secuenciales a las estaciones subsecuentes o subsiguientes, para con ello mantener una coherencia en el proceso e igualar las cargas de trabajo en cada estación.

I recommend prioritizing streamlined flow to address bottlenecks. Implement Kanban systems for demand-driven production, rearrange layouts for efficiency, and balance workloads for consistency. This approach mitigates waste and enhances productivity, securing sustained progress in Lean Manufacturing.

Hay casos en lo que si hay necsidad de reducir el tiempo en el cuello de botella y esto se tiene que dar cuando el requerimiento de un cliente excede el tiempo de respuesta del proceso, en este momento si hay que buscar balancear recursos y encontrar la forma en la que se pueden optinizar los mismos, dónde hay una gran variedad de herramientas para lograrlo a través de Lean Manufacturing.

In many of times, by identifying the best team, observe their 'best practices' and share it with the rest of the team, you may already achieved benefits in efficiency improvement. So, do consider it!

In most cases, the bottleneck is a personnel or a team. The most efficient way to tackle such situations is by introducing adequate training (both technical and about the principles of Lean).

To invest on machinery or training staff a careful cost benefit analysis must be conducted to ensure the investment is rational and efficient. I personally agree with staff training and investing on the human resources as it is a rewarding investment.

1. Needs Assessment: Identify Skill Gaps: Conduct a thorough assessment to identify the specific skills and knowledge required for your manufacturing operations. Prioritize Training: Determine which skills are most critical and prioritize training accordingly. 2. Develop a Training Plan: Create a Comprehensive Plan: Develop a detailed training plan outlining the objectives, content, delivery methods, and evaluation criteria. Align with Business Goals: Ensure the training plan aligns with your organization's overall business goals and objectives. 3. Select Appropriate Training Methods: On-the-Job Training: Provide hands-on training in the workplace. Classroom Training: Offer formal classroom instruction with experienced trainers.

Benefits of continuous improvement in manufacturing: Increased efficiency: Reduced waste and improved process flow lead to higher efficiency. Improved quality: Reduced defects and higher quality products or services. Lower costs: Reduced waste and improved efficiency can lead to lower costs. Increased customer satisfaction: Higher quality products and faster delivery times can improve customer satisfaction. Enhanced employee morale: Continuous improvement can create a positive and empowering work environment. Continuous Improvement in manufacturing refers to a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste or inefficiencies in processes to achieve higher quality, lower costs, and increased customer satisfaction.

Countinous improvement is a great way to improve the current situation . In today’s context the CI has to be very substantial to see the effect . People have misconceptions on CI and they feel satisfied by improving small amounts like reduce the scrap by 1% or increase the cycle time by 1 % . That’s okay 10 to 15 years ago . These days you need much more than that unless you can improve the KPIs by 1 % every month . ( hopefully its not a massaged improvement- believe me this happens in a lot of organisations)

When we have bottlenecks in our operations, it is important to understand why. I know this sounds like a simple first step, but many times, leaders will say that they don't have enough capacity. Upon evaluation, they are sitting on $5MM USD inventory, with a 40% First Time Yield. Additionally, it is a snare that leaders will often say, "If I just had more machines", but upon inspection their OEE is only 40%. In this case, they don't need more machines, but need to improve their efficiency. The first step to solving a problem is to identify it. Use data. Connect operations where you can, so flow doesn't stop. This will reduce inventory and free cash for future improvements.

Promover uma cultura de melhoria contínua n?o é apenas sobre implementar ferramentas e técnicas Lean, mas também sobre desenvolver uma mentalidade coletiva em que todos busquem constantemente maneiras de tornar os processos de fabrica??o mais eficientes e adaptáveis.

In Lean Six Sigma, fostering a Kaizen culture is pivotal. Regularly review processes, engage team feedback, and address inefficiencies promptly. This continual improvement cycle enhances quality and responsiveness, ensuring the manufacturing system remains agile, efficient, and aligned with evolving demands.

The only constant in the universe is that everything is changing, nonstop. So, the ability to adapt is paramount. Things are changing all the time and the individual that can foresee change and adapt to it will have a great advantage. An important remark is that every time you adapt and change something it crucial to change no a new standard, a revised standardized model or instruction. With change comes also the need and endless opportunities to innovate. Facing the new opens up a whole world of possibilities.

To sustain progress in Lean Manufacturing when facing bottlenecks, flexibility and adaptability are crucial. We as leaders must continuously review the evolving situations and have a systematic approach to adapt and innovate by addressing three key questions: What needs to be changed? What should it be changed to? and What actions will cause the change? This structured collaborative approach by forming a cross-functional team supports constructive brainstorming and helps identify constraints, define a clear future state, and implement a detailed change plan. By focusing on these steps and through proper empowerment, we can effectively manage change, resolve bottlenecks, and maintain long-term efficiency and success in Lean Manufacturing.

By identifying bottlenecks, you can focus on optimizing those areas, improving efficiency, and increasing overall productivity. Common signs of bottlenecks include: - Excessive wait times - High inventory levels - Reduced throughput - Increased lead times - Decreased productivity

Adapt improvise and innovate. New technologies are rising and there is a lot of scope for improvement in processes and tech that can improve QG systems and process planning. See where tech can be leveraged to improve performance and implement . Always remember we want autonomation not automation

Em minha vis?o, é muito importante adaptar a abordagem ao Lean Manufacturing, esteja atualizado sobre novas metodologias, ferramentas e tecnologias, isso é fundamental para otimizar processos. Quanto à inova??o, ela pode vir de diferentes fontes, como automa??o dos processos, ou dos produtos através de novas matérias primas, por isso, é importante estar aberto a experimentar novas ideias e ajustar o que for necessário para superar gargalos no processo.

To sustain progress in lean manufacturing, establish a continuous improvement team focused on reducing waste and enhancing workflows. Conduct regular Kaizen events to tackle bottlenecks and train employees to identify inefficiencies. Leadership should emphasize transparency and clear communication to align everyone with Lean goals. Standardized processes must be documented and reviewed regularly for quick adjustments. Monitor performance metrics closely and celebrate successes to boost morale and commitment. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement, reducing waste and increasing efficiency over time.

Fortschritt beim Lean Manufacturing messen: Um den Erfolg bei der Einführung von Lean Manufacturing objektiv beurteilen zu k?nnen, ist es wichtig, den Fortschritt anhand von Kennzahlen zu messen. Diese zeigen, ob Verbesserungen auch wirken, und helfen, Abweichungen frühzeitig zu erkennen. Wichtig ist hier, die relevanten Kennzahlen noch vor der Umsetzung von Ma?nahmen zu definieren und zu erfassen, um die ersten Ver?nderungen sp?ter auch mit dem Ausgangszustand vergleichen zu k?nnen.