Assessment & Specific Roadmap:This is usually the first step even for those companies that have begun a lean transformation. It consists of three basic parts and is normally completed for manufacturing & the major support/administrative areas: a gap assessment for all applicable lean elements, a value stream or process map for a typical product, a cultural assessment (how prepared is management for lean). This usually takes 3-5 days depending on the size of the company. Deliverable: A company specific roadmap (flow chart) outlining and prioritizing the most important events required to reduce waste.

Introduction to lean:This can be a 1-2 day event in which top management is introduced to lean concepts with applications for high mix, low volume environments through practical presentations and discussions. This includes a simulation designed for low volume, high mix companies. This is usually done directly following an assessment as this allows it to be customized to your specific business.
Deliverable: Management gaining an understanding of lean, what it can do for their business and what management support is required.

Visual management & lean measurements:If you set incorrect expectations with the wrong metrics you likely have poor performance. “Management by Objectives” as taught in business schools encourages you to implement measurements that are in direct conflict with one another. It is not only critical to use lean measurements to drive the correct behavior and results, but introduce them using a practical form of visual management (which is often not the case).  A 3-4 day event can be used to start or refocus with simple visuals with the correct metrics.
Deliverable: Recommended measures for your business along with quantifying & simplifying management through visuals.

Resolving Issues Program:This is not a workshop but a program of training and simultaneous improvement used to resolve a few key issues identified by reviewing the strategy with senior management. Then the selected first line managers are trained on soft issues, problem solving and lean principals, after which they each select 1-2 key problems to resolve that are linked to resolving the key issues identified by management. Coaching and training the first line managers through to implementing and tracking their solutions ensures cost savings are made.
Deliverable: Is guaranteed cost savings and trained first line supervision. 

Standardize management:If management does not change their behavior and clearly understand their role in lean, then all the kaizen workshops in world will have little effect. Developing a standardized efficient method that allows managers to find the time to drive lean can be explained and mapped in 1-2 days.
Deliverable: A matrix indicating who should review what & when, plus standardized methods and check-sheets for conducting the audits.

Capacity planning in high mix environments & job shops: One of the most difficult things to accomplish when you have a high mix business where little can be forecast, is to get the right parts to the right place at the right time. Traditionally this is the biggest struggle in high mix and therefore a great opportunity. Complex planning software like MRP is not necessarily the answer, but it can serve a purpose.
Deliverable: A hybrid solution can be put in place by working together with planning, manufacturing and sales, to get the system started requires between 4-5 days.

Shortage of capacity: Many lean tools are helpful in increasing capacity. When these shortages in capacity are identified a kaizen blitz type workshop with specific objectives can be undertaken. These events usually take 5 days and begin with educating the team on the lean methodologies and tools available.
Deliverable: Typically there are capacity increases after the actions are recognized based on clearly defined objectives prior to the event.

Excess capacity: An unfortunate position to find yourself in, but there are lean ideas and methodologies to work on in this situation to minimize the impact and increase the flexibility for the future. There are many factors influencing these situations, and it is better to learn the lean methodologies available and put proactive tools in place beforehand, but a workshop with the area or department in which there is already excess capacity can help to offset the costs and be better prepared for this in the future. This usually takes the form of a kaizen workshop either within manufacturing or an administrative department over 4-5 days.
Deliverable: Methodology for separating skilled from non-skilled tasks, cross-training matrix, training needs identified and other methods identified to increase flexibility.  

Value Stream & Process Mapping: This is best accomplished when you have identified a product, department or process (related to manufacturing or administration) that requires improving. Again this can be conducted in a Kaizen event over 4-5 days.
Deliverable: This will be defined prior to the event when the targets and objectives are identified.

Lean Accounting: Most of on organization's accounting effort goes to complying with regulations which rarely reflect reality in how resources are utilized, unfortunately management uses this inaccurate information regularly making stategic decisions. Smaller organizations preceive that maintaining a second "activity based costing" system will require significant resources. This workshop not only will show the advantages of Activity Based Costing, it will demonstrate how smaller low volume businesses can utilize a system without expensive software and only minimal resources and make much more informed decisions to increase profitability.
Deliverable: The basics of how a simplified economic model can be implement allowing a greater understanding of a product or service's cost, requiring no additional resources.

Inventory Improvements: Improving material flow in high mix is tricky but possible through some hybrid lean techniques specific for these environments. If you have a department or process in which you feel there is excess inventory or you think some buffers could be used to smooth large deviations in demand, then there are a few tricks available. To begin implementation usually requires days (depending on the number of parts involved) as there is significant data to review and calculations to be made.
Deliverables: Overall inventory reduction based on targets set prior to event, simplified planning system, a combined pull & build to order system.

Manpower Improvements: There are at least eight lean tools that can help once an area is identified for reducing the cycle time of manual operations. Not all of these are applicable in every case and certain methods make these tools more applicable in high mix, low volume. This can be done during a 4-5 day workshop depending on the objectives and the operations involved. Deliverable: Is normally a targeted reduction in manpower or an improvement in output.

Machine Output Improvements: Lean techniques like SMED (or change-over time reduction), TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), machine kaizen, parameter optimization, etc. can be applied based on measuring and understanding OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). In high mix environments reducing change-over time can be even more critical as changeovers are performed more frequently. Workshops of 3-5 days can be focused on increasing machine output. The time necessary is dependent on how many machines are being targeted and the current length of the change-over time. To date we have always found machines in which substantial opportunities exist.
Deliverable: Reduced changeover times.

Layout Improvements: Plant layouts are usually the result of how a company has developed and what products and processes it has added over the years. This step usually involves cost and is often left until later in the lean journey, though significant savings are usually discovered. Layouts in high mix, low volume frequently are characterized by different variables then those in high volume and some specific techniques are also available. This type of workshop usually requires 5 days to develop the proposals.
Deliverable: One or more proposed layouts with the advantages and disadvantages noted.

Office Department or Office Process Improvement: Administrative and support departments like engineering, finance, planning, IT, human resources, etc. can benefit greatly from process mapping and applying lean process techniques. Although often left to last in a lean transformation, high mix environments tend to have a larger percentage of the employees involved with indirect support functions, therefore proportionally the benefits can be greater. If you have a department, or a process within a department (i.e. imputing & scheduling an order) that you feel have significant opportunities for improvement then a business process kaizen event can be held, these typically run 5 days.
Deliverable: This depends on the objectives, but can include: reduced processing delays (improved lead time), reduced processing time, reduced errors, reduced labor, etc.

Distribution Optimization: A structured approach (based on data) of mapping and identifying improvements to the internal and external distribution chain. This can apply to retail,manufacturing and service companies.
Deliverable: Normally vary between single to double digit cost savings being identified. Regularly steps in the distribution chain can be reduced and the lead time shortened.

Supply Chain Redesign: Starts by mapping the current supply chain and then keying in on lean methods like in-sequence supply, JIT, inventory reduction, etc.
Deliverable: Key & critical suppliers defined, measurements and savings identified regarding inventory costs, reducing purchasing costs, reducing excess freight charges, etc. 

Training: Train the trainer type courses are also offered.

For More information please contact us, see our Contact Information page.