1st Edition
Made-to-Order Lean Excelling in a High-Mix, Low-Volume Environment
Toyota Production System methods have rendered remarkable results in high-volume manufacturing plants, but they have not been fully understood and correctly applied in high-mix, low-volume environments. While lean principles do apply, the implementation methods and tools must be adapted and alternate methods embraced in a low-volume environment. This volume is specifically geared for manufacturers that have hundreds to thousands of active part numbers with few or no ongoing forecasted volumes, and for job shops that build only to order. The primary focus is eliminating non-value-added activities and instituting improvements on the most repetitive jobs, a strategy that gives you more time to produce your low-volume work or one-offs.
About the author:
Greg Lane is a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute and an advisor to the Instituto de Lean Management in Spain. During his time with Toyota, he was one of a handful of candidates selected for a one-year training program conducted by the company’s masters. He became certified as a Toyota Production System (TPS) Key Person and continued his work with Toyota, training others in TPS.
He has been highly active in working on implementing lean around the world, supporting large and small companies alike. In 1998, he began to focus his lean endeavors on meeting the specific needs of high-mix, low-volume enterprises. During his time as an independent consultant, Greg purchased and operated his own manufacturing company, which specialized in fast turnaround on high-mix, low-volume parts. Greg used TPS to grow the business and nearly double its sales.
Greg and his associates have experience not only at adapting the methods contained in this book, but also in applying other tools that are too numerous to detail here. They can be reached for further support with your lean transformation via email: [email protected]
Chapter 1: Managing Visually
Chapter 2: Management Auditing: Standardized Work for Managers
Chapter 3: Associating a Time with All Work
Chapter 4: Utilizing Day-by-Hour and FIFO Boards
Chapter 5: Making Improvements When You're Short of Capacity
Chapter 6: Making Improvements When You Have Excess Capacity
Chapter 7: Using Value Stream Mapping in a Low-Volume Environment
Chapter 8: Becoming Aware of Your Inventory and Using Pull Systems
Chapter 9: Making Manpower Improvements
Chapter 10: Improving Machine Performance and Plant Layout
Chapter 11: Making Improvements through Office Department Kaizen
Chapter 12: Making Improvements through Office Process Kaizen
Chapter 13: Improving Your Product Costing
Glossary
Index
About the Author
Biography
Greg Lane earned his master of business administration from California State University in 1989 and his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1986. He is a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute. While working with Toyota, Greg was one of a handful of candidates selected for a one-year training program conducted by Toyota’s masters. He became a Toyota Production System (TPS) Key Person and continued his work with Toyota by training others in TPS. Since 1992, he has been working on implementing lean around the world, supporting large and small companies alike. In 1998, he began to refocus his lean endeavors on meeting the specific needs of high-mix, low-volume enterprises. Although his work is geared to companywide improvements, Greg has also worked with individual departments—purchasing, engineering, finance, planning — to improve efficiencies, reduce lead times, and reduce costs. During his time as an independent consultant, Greg purchased and operated (for almost six years) his own manufacturing company, which specialized in fast turnaround on high-mix, low-volume parts. Greg used TPS to grow the business and nearly double its sales. He sold the business at a profit to concentrate on supporting others in lean implementation.
"This book is an excellent resource for applying lean principles to the complex topic of high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, and is core reading material for those implementing a lean manufacturing system in this environment."
— Lee C. Banks, Senior Vice President And Operating Officer, Parker Hannifin Corporation, July, 2007
"Finally, here is a practical guide to simply introduce the Toyota Production System (TPS) in job shop environments...If you own, manage, or work in a job shop and will simply give a try to the ideas, tools and principles described in this book, I predict you will find great success and will refer to this book over and over for years."
From the Foreword by John Shook, The TWI Network, Ann Arbor, July 2007
