Franklin Business & Law Journal

Lean Manufacturing: An Analysis of Process Improvement Techniques

Cody R. Cox
School of Technology
University of Central Missouri
Dr. Jeffrey M. Ulmer, Ph.D.
ASQ-CSSBB & CMQ-OE, ATMAE-CSTM
University of Central Missouri
Departments of Engineering Technology, Industrial Management, & Technology

Abstract
This paper is being written to fulfill the requirements for developing an undergraduate-level
current issues research paper on Lean Manufacturing. The paper will document basic concepts of
Lean Manufacturing. Definitions and discussions of how lean manufacturing can help employers
to improve processes including machining, assembly and quality control will be covered. The
way in which a manager can utilize the tools of lean manufacturing within an office setting and
also to produce products will be elaborated upon. In addition to these topics there will be a
section devoted to where lean manufacturing is headed within the next five years.
Keywords: Lean Manufacturing, Kanban, Kaizen, Value Stream Analysis, Total
Productive Maintenance, Takt Time, Visual Controls, One piece flow, error proofing, Production
leveling, 5S, Problem solving methodology, Just-in-time.

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Lean Manufacturing: An Analysis of Process Improvement Techniques
Lean Manufacturing is currently one of the most vastly used systems within industry
today, worldwide. The tools and concepts of lean manufacturing can be applied to almost every
aspect of personal and private life. According to Group I (2010), the concepts of lean
manufacturing include value stream analysis, Takt time, Kanban, kaizen, visual controls, total
productive maintenance, one piece flow, error proofing, production leveling, problem solving
methodology, 5s, and Just-in-time. Using lean manufacturing concepts and techniques
employers can successfully improve manufacturing processes over a wide spectrum to eliminate
waste. Also lean concepts can be put into place for office settings to standardize procedures and
make better use of employee time and company resources. Lean manufacturing is the future of
business profiles and will continue to grow rapidly, eventually becoming a well-known aspect of
many industries.
Concepts of Lean Manufacturing
The first concept of lean manufacturing that will be covered is value stream analysis.
Value stream analysis, according to Group I (2010), is the visual representation of the material
and information flow of a specified product family (p. 156). Value stream analysis is used to
easily see all aspects of a certain process or product family and eliminate waste utilizing lean
tools and techniques. Value stream analysis should take anywhere from 1 to 2 days and is
completed by a multi-talented team made up of production, material -planning, and quality
departments. Davis (2009) says that if the mapping is completed properly, it is not unusual to
cut the processing time in half or even more (p. 159).
After value stream analysis comes Takt time, a formula that is used to determine how
much time is needed to produce a quality part to meet the demand by customers. (Group I, 2010,
p. 140). The use of takt time synchronizes production with sales so that there is not excess or
shortage of products being produced. According to Myers (2012), Takt time is typically
measured by dividing work time availability by units required (p. 17). So if there are 8 hours
available in a workday and the customer needs 240 pieces of merchandise then 8/240 would
mean that a part was being completed every 2 minutes.
Visual controls can help with tool accountability and time loss due to searching for items.
The phrase, a place for everything and everything in its place, is a great summary of visual

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controls in a manufacturing or office setting. Some examples from Davis of visual controls
include floor markings to aid with product flow and shadow boards that act as home for tools (p.
64). In well-tuned operations that utilize visual controls such as these, Davis says that 50% or
more of operator instructions are visual as opposed to written (p. 64-65).
Kanban helps create a pull system in a manufacturing environment and is a type of visual
control. There are three types of Kanban: withdraw Kanban, production Kanban, and signal
Kanban. Withdraw Kanban is described by Group I as a printed card indicating the number of
parts to be removed from the supermarket and supplied downstream (p. 41). The production
Kanban is a printed card indicating the number of parts that need to be processed to replenish
what was taken according to Group I (P.42). Finally, Group I say that a signal Kanban is a
printed card indicating the reorder point has been attained and a particular material lot needs to
be replenished (p. 42). Davis (2009) remarks that Kanban should be easily found, easy and
quick to understand, and provide meaningful feedback (p. 47).
Kaizen workshops are next on the list and Chiarini (2013) describes Kaizen workshops
as swift events managed by specific teams for improvement that strive to identify waste in the
timespan of about a week (p. 63). The fact that kaizen events only last a short time period is the
key to their success. Launching a kaizen event in a company that has never used the tool before
can produce enormous results in organization, safety, ergonomics and cleanliness of workspace
(Chiarini, 2013, p. 65-66). According to the Group I (2010), there will normally be a follow up
phase of the Kaizen to ensure that process established are continuing to be followed (p. 39).
TPM is a lean concept that Chiarini (2013) says organizes maintenance and strives to
reduce machine failure and other similar problems that reduce efficiency of productive processes
and service implementation (p. 111). The process of TPM involves everyone to include
workers, supervisors, maintenance staff and all the way up to senior management. The goals of
TPM are reduction of downtime, increase in worker awareness, constant cleaning of machinery,
and reduction of machine management costs, improvement of general efficiency and
improvement of quality (Chiarini, 2013, p. 111).
One piece flow is the next concept to be discussed and according to Group I (2010), one
piece flow creates a way to move product throughout the value stream one piece at a time with
no inventory and waste (p. 17). This allows companies to shorten lead time on products by
having no or minimum work-in-process inventory. One piece flow gives ease to identifying

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defects and problems in products before they reach the customer. This process provides the
availability of workers when needed and also and the use of less experienced workers to do
standard work (Group I, 2010, p. 17).
Error proofing as defined by Myerson (2012) is a way to make so that it is virtually
impossible to pass on a defective part or piece of information from one process to another (p.
65). According to Group I (2010), error proofing falls into three categories: display devices, jig
devices, and automatic devices (p.81). Display devices show a visual or auditory alarm if an
error is detected, jig devices are fixtures that will not allow a part to be loaded improperly, and
automatic devices will automatically shut down a machine if an error is detected (Group I, 2010,
P. 81). As Davis (2009), stated error proofing should be performed by a qualified engineer who
has a good background in equipment installation, specifications, and the like (P. 138).
Production leveling is a concept that limits quantity to necessary outputs. Production
leveling is designed by production, material planning, quality control, and floor personnel to
enable a company to meet varying demands without varying the workload on the manufacturing
process (Group I, 2010, P. 22). This process levels out production in a value stream by quantity
and variety, reduces inventory levels, and enables a true pull system (Group I, 2010, p. 22).
Chiarini (2013) says; production leveling can be applied in traditional areas only if set-up times
have been reduced allowing the workers to swiftly switch from one product to another (p.104).
Problem solving methodology is a great way of determining and preventing future
problems. Group I (2010) says that it creates a way to provide a systematic approach to problem
solving by creating a common language of concepts and tools (p. 102). The best way to figure
out problems is communication, and a great way to communicate is to ask the five whys.
According to Myerson (2012), the five whys is a method whereby a person asks a series of
questions in order to get to the root cause of a problem or defect (p.72). The general idea is that
the whys are asked until the answers lead to the cause of a problem.
Lastly we will discuss 5S, or sort, set, shine, standardize, and sustain. Myerson (2012)
says that the first step of sort requires workers to look at a process or their work areas and decide
what is and is not important and separate the two (p.84). Set is the process of tidying or cleaning
an area to make it safer and more organized. Set gives every item a place to be kept that is
clearly marked for easy access. Shine is mentioned to be the act of cleaning up and maintaining
the area. This stage is where supervisors take a look at methods that were applied and how these

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methods are working (Myerson, 2012, p. 84). Standardize as defined by Myerson (2012), is the
result obtained when the previous stages have been applied correctly, the main target of 5S is to
make sure that what has already been achieved and verified becomes part of a daily routine
(p.87-88). Finally Sustain is when after all other steps have been completed the discipline to
continue the process remains and functions properly.
Just-in-time or JIT is a concept used to establish a system of manufacturing and
supplying products precisely at the right time, in the right amount, with neither defects nor
waste, according to (Group I, 2010, p.34). The benefits of JIT are that it utilizes cellular flow
concepts, allows material to flow from operation to operation without delay, improves worker-toworker communication, and enhances defect detection (Group I, 2010, p. 34).
How Lean Manufacturing Helps Employers
Lean manufacturing has the bottom line of cutting waste and saving money. By following
concepts of lean manufacturing a company can cut waste and save time through quality of
products, in the assembly of products, and through documentation practices. The next section
will examine these practices and explain how they can help an employer to reduce time spent and
save money.
Just-in-time production uses several other lean concepts to save time and money through
the elimination of waste in the forms of movement, defects, and excess inventory. Just-in-time
works seamlessly with assembly in theses ways. JIT uses what is called a cellular layout to
minimize movements of products from one work station to another. Cellular layouts work in a
way where parts move from one station to another until a finished product is complete; the parts
never break the cycle and return to previous stations. This type of layout helps reduce the time a
part spends in transit. The way JIT saves a company money with defects is the workers quality
check items before moving to the next station, this reduces rework costs because the product is
not fully assembled before being quality checked, therefore if a product is defective it is caught
early on in the process. Finally JIT cuts down on excess inventory by only producing and
assembling enough products to meet customer demand for the product. If a company builds 200
cars in a year and only sells 100, then that company is sitting on the excess 100 cars.

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The way that lean manufacturing helps employers save money through quality is with
TQM. Total quality management is described as a team based program spanning the entire
organization, from supplier to customer, and requires a commitment by management to have a
long term, company-wide initiative toward quality in all aspects of products and services as
defined by the customer(Myerson, 2012, p.64-65). The idea in TQM is that after every step in
the assembly process the product should be perfect enough for the customer (Myerson, 2012,
p.64). This process can also apply to communications such as forms by limiting what is placed
on a form to only what is important. TQM keeps defective products to the earliest detectable
stage in a process.
A huge way in which lean concepts can help save employers money is through
documentation. One such documentation could be found in the concept of total Productive
Maintenance. Within total productive maintenance is the fact that all maintenance is documented
and kept on file. This gives a complete view of exactly when maintenance needs to be performed
saving a company on un-needed maintenance costs.
How Managers Can Utilize Lean in the Office
Like mentioned earlier, lean can be applied to almost all aspects of personal and
professional life to include within the office. Davis gives an example of lean being used in the
office of a public authority. Davis explains that the office used 5S procedures to organize all
documents into folders that were easy to find. Also documents that were waiting to be processed
were placed into colored drawers which gave the office the ability to measure work in process
(Davis, 2012, p. 142). The office also utilized a Total Productive Maintenance plan on all of their
photocopying machines which reduced downtime for the machines and kept at least a couple of
machines going at all times as not to stop work (Davis, 2012, p. 142). Another great concept of
lean that could be applied to an office setting is the cellular layout. A cellular layout would
reduce time spent on processing paperwork because of less travel time for information. Lean
concepts if followed properly could work tremendously well if in an office setting.
Final Conclusion

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There have been many topics covered within this paper to include methodology or
concepts of lean manufacturing. These concepts include value stream analysis, takt time,
Kanban, Kaizen, visual control, total productive maintenance, one-piece flow, error proofing,
production leveling, problem solving, 5S, and just-in-time production. Also discussed was how
lean manufacturing can help employers save money and eliminate waste through quality,
assembly practices, and documentation. Further discussed was how lean methodology can flow
into other areas such as the office setting. These concepts and methodologies are proven to work
for many companies because of their ability to measure the elimination of waste. I believe that
most manufacturing companies have at least dabbled within some or all of lean manufacturing
concepts. Within the next five years I think that the companies who have not at least
experimented with leaning out process will do so for the simple fact of saving money. Lean
eliminates something that every company should hate and that is waste in the forms of time and
products. Also companies that are not necessarily manufacturing companies have been recreating the use of lean concepts to fit their particular organizations such as medical, insurance
firms, even military. I also think that lean will continue to evolve because of this and the fact that
lean is synonymous with continuous improvement. Within the next five years lean will rapidly
grow because every company no matter what product they deliver loves to save money.

References

Chiarini, A. (2013). Lean Organization from the Tools of the Toyota Production System to Lean
Office. New York: Springer Milan Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London.

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Davis, J. (2009). Lean Manufacturing Implementation Strategies That Work. New York:
Industrial Press.
Group, I. (2010). The Lean pocket guide: Tools for the elimination of waste! Chelsea, MI: MCS
Media.
Myerson, P. (2012). Lean Supply Chain and Logistics Management. New York: McGraw Hill.
Summers, D. (2011). Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement Tools and Techniques. Upper Saddle
River: Pearson Education.

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