Sunday, March 10, 2019

Why You Need A Lean Manufacturing Consultant

By Diane Foster


Companies are always looking to streamline their processes. Making sure that the resources are well utilized right down to the last bit. A lean manufacturing consultant uses tolls to identify and eliminate waste steps in the process. This is aimed at continuous improvement. The exercises are geared towards averting resources from redundant activities so that the useful ones can have a chance to work better.

It is easy to fool oneself into thinking that literature and vlogs will make one into an overnight expert. It does seem pretty easy. However, there is a technique to it. One must understand that the tools only account for 20% of all of it. The remaining 80% is all about manipulating the internal environment. Using the culture of the company to ensure the success of such exercises. It is more about where the tools are applied than the tools themselves.

One of the biggest reasons to hire outside help as opposed to self-handling is an experience. These professionals work hard and long in the industry. To gain some sort of natural knack for the craft. To have the ability to apply creative solutions in addition to the traditional tools. They have undergone training. They have studied many programs. They have vast experience in the field and the experience they would bring into the company.

When one is proofreading their own work, it is very easy to miss typos and mistakes. There is a condition called typo blindness. However, if another person takes a look at the work. They may see the mistakes within minutes. The fresh eyes help recognize waste activities that one would otherwise miss on their own. Where one will see everything as necessary, the fresh perspective will be useful.

There are people who clean out garages by trade. Now one will not just pick anyone. They will want to see the work that the professionals have done in other homes. They will want to see how it looks without the clutter. One is advised to ask about the people responsible for other successful programs. Find a few so that one can have a pool of candidates to pick from.

There are three kinds of specialists in the field. These include a process specialist. This one will be highly skilled at addressing specific problems. They do a directed attack on the issues. Then there are flow specialists. They work with full streams. It is still directed but it is a larger portion of the process. Finally, there is a specialist who looks at the full picture. Decide the area that needs work and picks a sensei based on that.

There is no prescribed guide to finding a good sensei. However one should keep the missions in mind. The sensei should have two missions. The first being problem-solving. Through audits and analysis, the sensei will help diagnose. The second mission is productivity. This is done by application of improvement methodologies.

This exercise has very little to do with textbook solutions and prescribed actions. It is about learning by doing. The latter can cause quite a bit of friction between the sensei and the employees. For success and seamless work, there should be trust and respect.




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