Question

What is Lean Production? Stopping waste is a vital part of Lean Production.

Identify some sources of waste in your home or work and discuss how they may be eliminated. Why must Lean have a stable schedule?

Will lean work in service environments? Why or why not? Discuss ways to use Lean to improve one of the following: a pizza restaurant, a hospital, or an auto dealership

Answer 1

The core idea of lean manufacturing is actually quite simple…relentlessly work on eliminating waste from the manufacturing process.

So what is waste? Waste is defined as any activity that does not add value from the customer’s perspective. Waste can include work in process, raw materials, and finished goods that are not being directly worked on or being shipped to the customer.

2 Waste can include work in process, raw materials, and finished goods that are not being directly worked on or being shipped to the customer. Any processes or procedures not needed to complete the product or deliver the service are wastes. Material sitting in stores and queues are also sources of waste as is excess or inefficiencies. Through applications of lean principles of streamlining flows and only performing work as it is needed, these wastes can be reduced and possibly eliminated.

sSome obvious choices can be found in the refrigerator, with bills waiting to be paid, and, of course, laundry. For example, if laundry were done in small lots on a regular basis, fewer clothes would be needed. Of course, many people might not consider this an improvement.

Because any changes in the final product schedule are magnified backward along the line, a stable schedule is necessary. This schedule must be frozen at some point. Also, because suppliers and vendors are delivering in small batches just as materials are needed, they need accurate information about the build schedule so they can plan their corresponding deliveries

Lean is already achieving successes in a number of service environments. As services identify their components that resemble an assembly line and are repetitive in nature, the concepts will work. Also, the philosophy of reducing waste and streamlining flows to eliminate waste can work in any setting

Any number of answers would be correct. For example, in a pizza restaurant, streamlining the pizza preparation and baking operations would speed the product to the customer. Fast and efficient customer ordering and payment would allow the system to process more customers. Possibly letting customers refill their own drinks or serve themselves would speed processing. In a hospital or automobile dealership, procedures can be streamlined and altered to serve the customer.