Lean
TV
Metrics
TV
Metrics
Lean Production
Lean Roles
Standard Work
Lean Influencers
200
At the nuclear plant, Homer needs to measure the proportion of time that the main reactor coolant pumps at the nuclear plant are functioning correctly without any downtime. This metric helps assess equipment reliability and utilization.
What is Uptime or Availability?
200
One of the original pillars of the Toyota Production System; this refers to a system of production that produces and delivers what is needed, just when it is needed, in the amount needed.
200
In a Lean organization, this group of people, sometimes known as the "money earners," often has the best ideas for improving a process, as they interact with the work on a daily basis and understand the challenges and opportunities firsthand.
Who are the Frontline Workers?
200
This A3-sized document is posted at the workstation and used to train new workers on standard work for a process. It includes a description of the process, required tools, key steps, best practices, safety/quality considerations, and a sketch of the layout, explaining the what, how, and why.
What is a Job Instruction Sheet?
200
This American industrialist revolutionized manufacturing with the introduction of the assembly line at his Highland Park plant in 1913, creating the foundation for modern flow production. His innovations drastically reduced manufacturing time and costs, making automobiles affordable for the average consumer. He famously quipped, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants, so long as it is black." He also implemented the use of interchangeable parts, further streamlining production and setting a new standard for manufacturing.
Who is Henry Ford?
400
Kramer decides to build levels in his apartment, transforming it into different sections like a multi-layered cake. This Lean metric measures the total time from the beginning of a project until its completion. Imagine Kramer tracking the time it takes from starting the construction of his apartment levels to finishing the last one.
What is Project Lead Time?
400
In Lean manufacturing, this type of layout looks more like a well-choreographed dance than a traditional production line. By grouping all the necessary equipment into a compact, sequentially arranged area, operators waltz between multiple machines, eliminating unnecessary worker motion and material transportation.
What is Cellular Layout?
400
In a Lean organization, this role focuses on overseeing the entire production process, from raw materials to finished goods. They identify and eliminate waste, ensuring that every step adds value and that the process flows smoothly and effectively.
What is a Value Stream Manager?
400
This primary type of standard work document not only incorporates the three elements of standard work but also includes an illustration of the layout or product/service, with quality and safety checkpoints, and the location of necessary resources embedded within the process.
What is Standardized Work Chart?
400
This Japanese organizational theorist and management consultant is renowned for introducing the concept of Kaizen to the Western world. He founded the Kaizen Institute in 1985 to help companies implement Kaizen and Lean strategies globally. His seminal book, Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success, emphasized that continuous, incremental improvements involving everyone in the organization—from top management to front-line employees—are key to long-term success.
Who is Masaaki Imai?
600
Captain Holt implements mandatory paperwork for all detectives after completing an arrest. This Lean metric identifies activities that don't add direct value to the customer but are necessary for regulatory or compliance reasons.
What is Non-Value Added but Required?
600
This type of Kanban card is used on the production floor to signal the need to manufacture a specific quantity of items. When the downstream process consumes materials, this card triggers the upstream process to produce and deliver the required items, keeping the production line running smoothly.
What is Production Kanban?
600
In a Lean manufacturing system, this crucial role, known as the "Mizusumashi" in Japanese, ensures that production line workers receive all necessary materials and tools directly at their workstations. By doing so, it keeps workers in their prime real estate, allowing them to focus on their tasks without interruption. Think of a small creature that skims along the surface, delivering what’s needed to keep everything flowing smoothly.
Who is a Water Spider?
600
This type of standard work document is used to combine cycle time, work sequence, and standard inventory for a particular process. It measures different types of time, such as machine time and the person's time, ensuring that each step is performed efficiently, safely, and in the correct sequence.
What is a Standard Work Combination Table?
600
This American statistician introduced quality control methods to Japanese industries post-World War II, is famous for his "14 Points for Management," and "Red Bead Experiment." He is attributed with the quote, "A bad system will beat a good person every time."
Who is W. Edwards Deming?
800
Walter White finishes cooking a batch of his signature blue meth. He then needs to switch the RV lab to produce a different chemical compound for a new experiment. This Lean metric measures the total time taken from producing the last good batch of blue meth to the first good batch of the new compound. It includes cleaning, retooling, and adjusting equipment.
What is Changeover Time?
800
In the land of Lean, this Japanese term is your secret weapon for turning production chaos into calm waters. It levels the production schedule by balancing the volume and mix of products. This method ensures you can swiftly adjust to customer demand fluctuations by producing a little bit of everything each day. Forget stockpiling—this approach keeps you responsive without the inventory overload.
800
When it comes to navigating the choppy waters of organizational change, this crew takes the helm. They're responsible for charting the annual course, deploying strategies, and keeping the Lean Operating System shipshape.
What is the Lean Steering Committee?
800
This element of standard work ensures that there is a minimum amount of materials and products available to keep the process running smoothly without creating excess. It is one of the three essential elements of standard work, along with takt time and work sequence.
What is Standard Work in Process Inventory?
800
Often referred to as the "father of modern management," this thought leader introduced the term "knowledge worker" and emphasized the importance of management practices that focus on people.
Who is Peter Drucker?
1000
Lucy and Ethel are back in the chocolate factory! The factory operates for 10 hours a day with two 15-minute breaks, and they need to wrap 300 chocolates to meet their customer demand. Calculate the takt time to ensure they can keep up with the conveyor belt and avoid another chocolate fiasco.
What is one chocolate every 1.9 minutes or 114 seconds?
Takt time = Available production time / Customer demand.
Customer demand = 300 chocolates.
Production Time = 570 minutesTakt time = 570 minutes / 300 chocolates = 1.9 minutes per chocolate.
Lucy and Ethel need to wrap one chocolate every 1.9 minutes to meet the customer demand and avoid another chocolate fiasco! 🍫✨
1000
This Lean method ensures materials flow smoothly between facilities, like a well-organized delivery route. Instead of delivering large batches infrequently, it involves vehicles making multiple pick-ups and drop-offs at various facilities, resembling a dairy delivery service.
What is a Milk Run?
1000
This individual is the unsung hero of Lean transformations, guiding teams through the scientific method, coaching them during kaizen events, and championing continuous improvement efforts. They stay impartial, ensuring everyone stays on track and maintains momentum in the journey towards operational excellence.
Who is a Lean Facilitator?
1000
This refers to the leadership philosophy that focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities. In this style, the leader is positioned at the bottom of an organization’s inverted pyramid, tasked with supporting those who deliver value-added work to the customer.
What is Servant Leadership?
1000
This physicist and Lean consultant is renowned for his contributions to Lean thinking, especially in the context of organizational learning and continuous improvement. He co-authored "Learning to See" which popularized Value Stream Mapping, and authored "Toyota Kata" introducing a systematic, scientific approach to developing improvement routines and coaching techniques within organizations.
Who is Mike Rother?