12 Mar

Integrating Six Sigma And the Lean Manufacturing Process

Posted by admin, under Management Systems

The lean manufacturing process and six sigma should be used together in order to have the most effect in the bottom line of a business. By combining resources and integrating programs, more can be accomplished with less expenditure of time and money.

Are they competitors?

Six sigma consultants sometimes tend to have an elitist strain, with black belt experts poring over numbers and engaging in long term projects that can be quite far removed from the shop floor. Many lean manufacturing programs, such as those centered on Kaizen events, place an emphasis on teamwork. A recent book, “The Perfect Engine,” by Anand Sharma and Patricia E. Moody, highlights the benefits of joining forces in a sort of Lean-Six Sigma approach.

When most companies begin their lean manufacturing process, they begin with programs such as 5S, and Kaizen blitzes in order to reduce waste. Once these wastes were eliminated, a need is revealed to address the underlying problem. The need to some kind of measurable, statistical method soon becomes apparent and this is where the marriage of lean and six sigma can make such a difference.

How does it help to join together?

By combining methods, results are improved as baseline levels of performance are established. Now statistical tools can be used to ensure the greatest impact.

Now that the lean manufacturing process has revealed the shortcomings, Six sigma offers a way to solve the problems in a sequential, procedural manner. By using the DMAIC cycle (design, measure, analyze, improve, and control), realistic solutions to chronic problems can be applied.

In this way, the root cause of the problem is much less likely to be overlooked, and long term, ongoing solutions can be logically applied and progress measured.

One needs the other

If you just reduce waste you may not ever get to the underlying cause, and if you just do Six sigma, you may never maximize the full potential of your organization. Six sigma really needs lean to enable it to perform optimally.

One of the characteristics of six sigma is it’s ability to link programs together so they work in as a flow, rather than disconnected, stand alone tools.

Top management needs to be involved

Six sigma black belts must not be allowed to engage in months long programs that will not have any impact on the bottom line of your company. It can and does happen that vast amounts of time and money are spent on well-meaning programs that just don’t touch the bottom line.

On the other hand, chronic, deep seated problems cannot be solved by intuitive, short-term 5S and Kaizen programs.

By having top management working to put these two complimentary programs on the same team, you operations will run more efficiently and your profits will increase.

Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. With more than 30 years in the plastic injection mold making industry, he has gained valuable practical experience in the lean manufacturing process.


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12 Mar

Lean Six Sigma Implementation Basics

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Lean Six Sigma methodologies are a combination of standard 6-Sigma quality improvement techniques and lean manufacturing principles that are used for speeding up business processes. 6-Sigma methodologies focus on reducing defects in business processes, whereas Lean 6 Sigma does not only eliminate defects but also improves the speed of a process and reduces waste by eliminating non-value added steps in a business process. Combining 6-Sigma and lean manufacturing principles is like combining the contents of two different toolboxes that help companies to improve quality and efficiency.

Compatibility

Depending on the type of methodologies used by an organization, Lean Six Sigma is often referred to as Lean Service, Lean Manufacturing, and Lean Enterprise. These concepts are compatible with standard Six Sigma methodologies and can be applied to every type of business processes. Both the concepts use similar strategies and methods and focus on improving business processes that serve customer needs. Both focus on identifying and eliminating sources of waste and processes that do not add value for maximizing output, efficiency, and throughput. They emphasize providing requisite training for enabling employees of an organization to understand the tools and processes of the methodology. Both concepts encourage the involvement of senior managers and key mentors within an organization for ensuring that quality improvement projects are executed without affecting the day-to-day operations.

Lean 6 Sigma uses different techniques for reducing costs, reducing production cycle times, expanding capacity, and improving productivity. It uses “value stream mapping” for identifying improvement opportunities. However, Lean Six Sigma concepts may sometimes prove inadequate in solving some of the more complex problems that call for advanced analysis.

Benefits

Standard 6-Sigma methodologies follow a disciplined, data driven approach and use statistical tools for analyzing quality at every stage of the production process. When combined with Lean manufacturing principles, it helps in identifying and resolving quality issues. Its successful implementation is important in reaping quick results and enabling employees and plant managers to harness better work patterns on plant floors. Lean Six Sigma programs are executed under the guidance of 6-Sigma Champions and Black Belts for enhancing the efficacy of quality improvement initiatives. It is necessary to deploy lean manufacturing techniques during the Six Sigma implementation process for ensuring that the improvement process includes a standard problem-solving approach.

Lean Six Sigma focuses on adding value to manufactured goods or services rendered by eliminating defects in every business process. This helps in building customer loyalty, as customers often prefer products and services that offer consistent quality. The matrices used in Six Sigma help in identifying customer needs, manufacturing quality products and rendering quality services.

Lean Six Sigma concepts and methodologies are based on a highly sustainable approach that gets easily integrated with the existing work processes within an organization. It requires the involvement of employees at all levels within an organization. The deployment of 6-Sigma programs can initiate a culture shift within an organization that helps in eliminating waste within the production process.

Lean Six Sigma helps in ensuring future success of an organization by radically improving quality and reducing waste. It also allows employees within an organization to design and develop new business processes that will help in making drastic improvements to the organization’s performance.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.


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11 Mar

Hallmark Intelligent Load Leveling to Lean Kanban By Datacraft Solutions

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“Datacraft’s new and exciting approach to our initial unique “Intelligent Load Leveling” ability to upload/import this data into our system is essential for managing the need for replenishment and on-hand balances required to accommodate defined or changing schedules,” said Data craft Solutions’ CEO Stephen Parker.

DDII web application has three major components: Import Demand, Calculation Reports, and Print Cards

• Import Demand: Allows users to modify and upload new card set information into Datacraft’s pull-based Kanban solution, Signum. Users are able to download current card set information and make changes to such information as minimum reorder quantities and delivery schedules and then upload these changes to Signum.

• Calculation Reports: The “calculation reports” interface provides users with the ability to see all of their uploaded and processed demand data. The data is processed and validated. Valid data is accepted and any errors are flagged for users to review, correct and resubmit.

• Print Cards: The “print cards” component enables users to print new cards for any card-sets modified during a DDII session.

Datacraft Solutions’ new Kanban card-level calculation functionality, “Daily Demand Import Interface” (DDII). Using the DDII tool allows customers to quickly and easily upload new “Average Daily Demand” to Signum and to recalculate card set levels in mass. Once the new demand is uploaded to Signum, production card levels are automatically reset and new Kanban cards are ready for printing.

“This feature provides alternative sources for inputs necessary to derive optimal inventory levels for large numbers of parts or card sets within the existing product base.

In many organizations the groundwork for what needs to be built, in what quantities, and by when has already been analyzed,” according to Parker.

Datacraft Solutions (www.datacraftsolutions.com) delivers a revolutionary digital kanban process of automation solutions to lean manufacturers through a secure Internet gateway, eliminating the need to install and maintain a complex IT infrastructure. The company has experienced significant growth in the past twelve months by eliminating complicated, expensive, time-intensive software implementations as well as extensive training regiments and the need for internal support. The Datacraft Solutions’ replenishment supply chain digital kanban lean system allows customers access and fully utilize powerful lean benefits immediately for a low, predictable monthly fee. Services are scalable so manufacturers can design an appropriate digital kanban solution.

Datacraft Solutions

www.datacraftsolutions.com

Jerry Bryant

Marketing Manager

jbryant@datacraftsolutions.net

800-819-5326


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10 Mar

Lean Digital Kanban Eliminates Stock-outs

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Datacraft Solutions, the world leader in lean manufacturing software, noted that its flagship product, Signum Digital Kanban, is designed to help manufacturers reduce inventory by up to 75% while eliminating stock-outs. Only true digital kanban solution allows shop floor operators to manage and track all material as well as components that are sent to outside processors. This critical product feature allows manufacturers to achieve additional inventory reduction and fewer stock-outs, using a single integrated set of material replenishment processes for all products.

One of the key features to Datacraft’s technology is its ability to manage outside processing to increase visibility to all material and work-in-process both on and off-site. As a result, companies can better manage sub-contracted processing such as heat treatment, sheet metal operations and component manufacturing. For the first time, material managers will have real time inventory and scrap data for all material at their outside processors. This allows manufacturers to reduce production cycle times by days (and sometimes weeks) while significantly reducing unnecessary raw and component material inventories. The ability to track and identify scrap rates also improves inventory accuracy while holding suppliers to committed performance objectives.

Stephen Parker, CEO of Datacraft proudly noted, “Our exclusive digital kanban solution continues to be an innovator with software applications that support Lean best practices. “Outsourced manufacturing is a major trend and there are a limited number of tools available that help companies realize this type of success within a Lean program. Signum allow Datacraft’s customers to dramatically reduce inventory, shorten cycle times and eliminate stock-outs in this key business area.”

The digital kanban software allows plant management to track inventory reduction, increased inventory turns and reductions in supplier lead times as they are achieved.

Datacraft Solutions (www.datacraftsolutions.com) delivers a revolutionary digital kanban process of automation solutions to lean manufacturers through a secure Internet gateway, eliminating the need to install and maintain a complex IT infrastructure. The company has experienced significant growth in the past twelve months by eliminating complicated, expensive, time-intensive software implementations as well as extensive training regiments and the need for internal support. The Datacraft Solutions’ replenishment supply chain digital kanban lean system allows customers access and fully utilize powerful lean benefits immediately for a low, predictable monthly fee. Services are scalable so manufacturers can design an appropriate digital kanban solution.

Datacraft Solutions

www.datacraftsolutions.com

Jerry Bryant

Marketing Manager

jbryant@datacraftsolutions.net

800-819-5326


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09 Mar

Digital Kanban Is Critical to Lean Manufacturing

Posted by admin, under Management Systems

Stephen Parker, CEO of Datacraft proudly noted, “Our exclusive digital kanban solution continues to be an innovator with software applications that support Lean best practices. “Outsourced manufacturing is a major trend and there are a limited number of tools available that help companies realize this type of success within a Lean program. Signum allow Datacraft’s customers to dramatically reduce inventory, shorten cycle times and eliminate stock-outs in this key business area.”

Solutions, the world leader in lean manufacturing software, noted that its flagship product, Signum Digital Kanban, is designed to help manufacturers reduce inventory by up to 75% while eliminating stock-outs. Only true digital kanban solution allows shop floor operators to manage and track all material as well as components that are sent to outside processors. This critical product feature allows manufacturers to achieve additional inventory reduction and fewer stock-outs, using a single integrated set of material replenishment processes for all products.

One of the key features to Datacraft’s technology is its ability to manage outside processing to increase visibility to all material and work-in-process both on and off-site. As a result, companies can better manage sub-contracted processing such as heat treatment, sheet metal operations and component manufacturing. For the first time, material managers will have real time inventory and scrap data for all material at their outside processors. This allows manufacturers to reduce production cycle times by days (and sometimes weeks) while significantly reducing unnecessary raw and component material inventories. The ability to track and identify scrap rates also improves inventory accuracy while holding suppliers to committed performance objectives.

The digital kanban software allows plant management to track inventory reduction, increased inventory turns and reductions in supplier lead times as they are achieved.

Datacraft Solutions (www.datacraftsolutions.com) delivers a revolutionary digital kanban process of automation solutions to lean manufacturers through a secure Internet gateway, eliminating the need to install and maintain a complex IT infrastructure. The company has experienced significant growth in the past twelve months by eliminating complicated, expensive, time-intensive software implementations as well as extensive training regiments and the need for internal support. The Datacraft Solutions’ replenishment supply chain digital kanban lean system allows customers access and fully utilize powerful lean benefits immediately for a low, predictable monthly fee. Services are scalable so manufacturers can design an appropriate digital kanban solution.

Datacraft Solutions

www.datacraftsolutions.com

Jerry Bryant

Marketing Manager

jbryant@datacraftsolutions.net

800-819-5326


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