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Lean Production System : To Improve Manufacturing Performance:

We all know that our Apparel industry has huge area of improvement by using lean principles. Seven Types of Wastes in lean manufacturing has already been identified, They are overproduction, waiting, transportation, over or incorrect processing, defects, and motion, These were identified as part of the Toyota Production System.

Toyota Production System as discussed below: 

1. Overproduction: 

Producing more than the customer demands. There are two types of overproduction: 

Quantitative: making more products than needed , Early : Making products before needed

Overproduction is costly to a manufacturing plant because it obstructs the smooth flow of materials and degrades the quality and productivity. Overproduction manufacturing is referred to as “just-in-case” whereas lean manufacturing is referred to as “just-in-time”. 

Causes of overproduction:

1. Misuse of automation
2. "Just-in-case" logic
3. Long process setup
4. Unleveled scheduling
5. Workload is not Balanced.
6. Redundant inspections

2. Waiting: 

Typically more than 99% of a product’s life cycle time in traditional mass production is spent in waiting. This includes waiting for material, labor, information, equipment, etc. 

Causes of waiting:

1. Misuses of automation
2. Unbalanced workload
3. Unplanned maintenance
4. Long process setup times
5. Upstream quality problems
6. Unleveled scheduling
7. Poor communication

3. Transportation or conveyance: 

Excessive handling and movements can cause damages and can lead to quality deterioration. Materials should be delivered to its point of use, only when needed. 

Causes of transportation waste:

1. Poor plant layout
2. Poor understanding of the process flow for production
3. Large batch sizes, long lead times, and large storage areas

4. Over processing or incorrect processing: 

Taking unneeded steps to process the parts, such as reworking, inspecting, and rechecking. Indistinct and unclear customer requirements cause the manufacturer to add unnecessary processes, which add cost to the product. Extra processing waste can be minimized by asking questions such as “why a specific processing step is needed?” and “why a specific product is produced?”. 

Causes of over processing waste:

1. Customer’s true requirements not properly defined
2. Product changes without process changes
3. Over processing to accommodate expected downtime
4. Lack of communication or extra copies/excessive information
5. Redundant approvals

5. Excess inventory: 

Any type of inventory (raw material or in process or finished goods) does not add value to the product and it should be eliminated or reduced. Excess inventory uses floor space and hides problems related to process incapabilities. Excess inventory results in longer lead times, obsolescence, damaged goods, transportation and storage costs, and delay. 

Causes of excess inventory:

1. Compensating for inefficiencies and unexpected problems
2. Product complexity.
3. Unleveled scheduling.
4. Poor market forecast.
5. workload is not balanced.
6. Unreliable shipments by suppliers

6. Defects: 

Defects can be either production defects or service errors. Having a defect results in tremendous cost to an organization. In most of the organizations the total cost of defects is often a significant percentage of total manufacturing cost. 

Causes of defects:

1. Little or no process control
2. Poor or inconsistent quality standards
3. Inadequate education/training/work instructions

7. Motion: 

Any motion that employee has to perform that does not add value to the product is considered unnecessary. 

Causes of motion waste:

1. Poor people/machine efficiency
2. Inconsistent work methods
3. Poor facility or cell layout
4. Poor workplace organization and housekeeping

The prime objective of waste elimination from the system is achieved with lean manufacturing techniques and tools. Based on this requirements, JIT, total quality management (TQM), flowcharts, and workplace redesigning techniques are used to reduce the waste. Some of the commonly used tools are: 

Kaizen: A systematic approach to gradual, orderly, and continuous movement. Improvement in manufacturing can be in any form such as reduction of inventory and defective parts. One of the most important tools of Kaizen is the 5S, that is, Sort, Set in order/ Straighten, Shine, Standardize/Systemize, and Sustain.

Production Smoothing : This is adopted from the Toyota production system, where in order to decrease production cost, it was necessary to build no more cars than the number that can be sold. To accomplish this, the production schedule should be smooth so as to effectively produce the right quantity of parts and efficiently utilize manpower. 

Kanban Systems : An information system, used to ascertain that production occurs when the demand is created downstream. Kanban is a system to control the logistic chain from a production point of view, and is not an inventory control system. Kanban as a tool in lean manufacturing to achieve JIT. 

JIT : A management idea that attempts to eliminate sources of manufacturing waste by producing the right part in the right place at the right time. 

Fishbone diagram : TQM's main tools to analyze the root causes for a problem. Simple graphical method to represent the problems and root cause for these problems. Shows many levels of causes simultaneously so it can be used to gain a full idea about the problem and to analyze it fully. 

Benefits of LEAN and how it will help to improve performance:

Customer Service: what the customer wants when they want it

Financials: the business can better react to and meet the customer’s needs

Innovation: Improved morale and participation in the business

Innovation: Improved morale and staff participation in the business

Lead Times: Ability to respond quicker with fewer delays

Productivity: Improvements in throughput and added value

Quality: Reductions in defects and rework; getting it right first time

Stock: Reduction in work in progress and Inventory

Waste Reduction: Less transport and physical waste