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Monthly micro-learning lessons focused on the Lean lexicon. Have fun as we guide you through the nomenclature;
bringing you insights into the nuances of this proven discipline.
The quickest, most effective way to add value to the customer is to streamline processes that eliminate silos and use visual management to foster communication, collaboration, decision making, project management, teamwork, and problem-solving. Where does all this activity take place? In the Obeya.
Mistakes are a part of the human condition. We all make them. The key is not to let them turn into defects that get into the hands of the customer. That’s where Poka-Yoke comes in - a funny sounding word that means "mistake-proofing." Learn more about Poka-Yoke and how it can provide 100% source inspection to any step of any process.
The probability that (the processes within) a system, or service will satisfactorily perform its intended/designed function/task for a specified time, and in a defined environment.
By implementing Heijunka, organizations are able to build to customer demand by type/product, spreading out production evenly throughout the day.
The act of transferring portions of the decision-making process, as well as the authority to implement decisions, to employees.
In business, alignment is simply the linking of an organization’s vision with employees’ daily activities, ensuring all departments have consistent goals.
To bring into conformity with a standard (a level of quality or attainment, OR an idea or thing used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations), especially in order to assure consistency and regularity.
A product or service that has been perceived or appraised to fulfill a need or desire—as defined by the customer—is said to have value. An activity has value if it is transformative, is done right the first time, and is something the customer is willing to pay for.
In business operations, Gemba refers to any place where work is happening, where value is being created. For example, in manufacturing, gemba is the factory floor; in the office, it’s where support services are provided; in the hospital, it’s the operating/exam rooms.
Failure Demand is a systemic problem. Organizations can be off the charts busy but be drowning in non-value-added rework. Find out more about what failure demand means in a Lean environment.
... also known as Muda. Muda is a Japanese word meaning futility, uselessness, or wastefulness. A focus of the Toyota Production System (TPS) and later Lean process improvement, it refers to one of the three types of deviation from optimal allocation of resources: “Muda, Mura, Muri” (Waste, Unevenness, Overburden). Waste is any process that doesn’t add value to the end user.