Lean Manufacturing Project Steps

Typical Lean Manufacturing

Project Steps & Tools

Each client's situation is unique, so each requires a customized set of project steps. For the purposes of discussion, though, the following steps provide a general picture of a project flow. Most client projects involve a subset of these steps. Business size and complexity determine duration of the steps.

Operations Analysis (1 to 6 weeks)

Understand Current Planning
Quantify Current Performance (Cost, Speed, Quality, Inventory, Product Mix, etc.)
Characterize Current Culture
Survey Current Staffing
Understand Current Systems, Processes, and Technologies

Target Setting (1 to 2 weeks)

Discover Market Demands
Identify Competitive Benchmarks
Compare Market Demands to Current Performance
Set Performance Goals
Survey Organization to Determine Change Requirements
Develop Project Scope, Steps, Timetable, Payback Curves, and Budget

Detail Development (1 to 12 weeks)

Ratify New Strategic Direction
Plan Changes at the Individual Job or Process Level
Design Facility and System Modifications to Support the Changes
Establish Detailed Implementation Plan
Refine and Finalize Timing and Cash Flow
Develop Communication Plan

Lean Installation (1 to 50 weeks)

Approve Implementation Plan
Set Up Communication System
Execute Implementation Plan
Maintain Communication to All Parts of the Organization
Hit Payback Targets and Publicize Successes

Tool Kit - Again, each client organization requires a custom-designed approach, but the consulting, engineering, and organization development tools for Lean Manufacturing projects include the following:

Functional or ABC Costing

Process Engineering (See List)

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)

Organizational Surveys

System Rationalization

Root Cause Analysis

Kanban

Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)

Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling

Customer Surveys

Competitive Surveys

Delta Analysis

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Technical Training

Cultural Training

Value Mapping

Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

Process Mapping

Competitive Product Analysis

Time Mapping

Just In Time (JIT) System Design

Design of Experiments

Reward System Development

See also:
Lean Manufacturing Overview

Lean Manufacturing Training

The Stanton Group
www.stangroup.com

Typical Lean Manufacturing Project Steps & Tools
Each client's situation is unique, so each requires a customized set of project steps. For the purposes of discussion, though, the following steps provide a general picture of a project flow. Most client projects involve a subset of these steps. Business size and complexity determine duration of the steps. Operations Analysis (1 to 6 weeks) Understand Current Planning Quantify Current Performance (Cost, Speed, Quality, Inventory, Product Mix, etc.) Characterize Current Culture Survey Current Staffing Understand Current Systems, Processes, and Technologies Target Setting (1 to 2 weeks) Discover Market Demands Identify Competitive Benchmarks Compare Market Demands to Current Performance Set Performance Goals Survey Organization to Determine Change Requirements Develop Project Scope, Steps, Timetable, Payback Curves, and Budget Detail Development (1 to 12 weeks) Ratify New Strategic Direction Plan Changes at the Individual Job or Process Level Design Facility and System Modifications to Support the Changes Establish Detailed Implementation Plan Refine and Finalize Timing and Cash Flow Develop Communication Plan Lean Installation (1 to 50 weeks) Approve Implementation Plan Set Up Communication System Execute Implementation Plan Maintain Communication to All Parts of the Organization Hit Payback Targets and Publicize Successes
Tool Kit - Again, each client organization requires a custom-designed approach, but the consulting, engineering, and organization development tools for Lean Manufacturing projects include the following:
Functional or ABC Costing	Process Engineering (See List)
Total Quality Management (TQM)	Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)
Organizational Surveys	System Rationalization
Root Cause Analysis	Kanban
Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)	Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling
Customer Surveys	Competitive Surveys
Delta Analysis	Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Technical Training	Cultural Training
Value Mapping	Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
Process Mapping	Competitive Product Analysis
Time Mapping	Just In Time (JIT) System Design
Design of Experiments	Reward System Development
See also: Lean Manufacturing Overview Lean Manufacturing Training
The Stanton Group www.stangroup.com