Buzz Word Tech Share

September 21, 2009

Kaizen
Kaizen refers to a philosophy focusing on continuous improvement in manufacturing activities, all business activities, or even all aspects of life. When used in the business sense and applied to the workplace, Kaizen typically refers to activities that continually improve all functions of a business, from manufacturing to management and from the CEO to the assembly line workers. By improving standardized activities and processes, Kaizen aims to eliminate waste .

Six Sigma
Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and Variability in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization ("Black Belts","Green Belts", etc.) who are experts in these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified financial targets (cost reduction or profit increase).

Lean
Lean manufacturing or "Lean", is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service, "value" is defined as any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for. Basically, lean is centered around creating more value with less work. Lean manufacturing is a variation on the theme of efficiency based on optimizing flow; it is a present-day instance of the recurring theme in human history toward increasing efficiency, decreasing waste, and using empirical methods to decide what matters, rather than uncritically accepting pre-existing ideas.

Value Stream Mapping

Value stream mapping is a Lean technique used to analyze the flow of materials and information currently required to bring a product or service to a consumer.

Kanban
Kanban (where kan means visual, and ban means "card" or "board") is a concept related to lean and justin-time (JIT) production. The Japanese word kanban is a common term meaning signboard or billboard. Kanban is a signaling system to trigger action. Kanban historically uses cards to signal the need for an item. However, other devices such as plastic markers or balls or an empty part-transport trolley or floor location can also be used to trigger the movement, production, or supply of a unit in a factory.

Examples of Kanban Boards

Just-In-Time (JIT)
Just-in-time (JIT) is an inventory strategy that strives to improve a return on investment by reducing in-process inventory and associated carrying costs. To meet JIT objectives, the process relies on signals or kanbans between different points in the process, which tell production when to make the next part. Implemented correctly, JIT can dramatically improve a manufacturing organizations ROI, quality, and efficiency.

5S
5S is the name of a workplace organization methodology that uses a list of five Japanese words which, translated into English, start with the letter S. 5S is a philosophy and a way of organizing and managing the workspace and work flow with the intent to improve efficiency by eliminating waste, improving flow and reducing process unevenness. The 5S's are: Phase 1 - Sorting Phase 2 - Straighten or Set in Order Phase 3 - Sweeping or Shining Phase 4 - Standardizing Phase 5 - Sustaining the discipline

6S
A sixth phase, "Safety," is sometimes added. Purists, however, argue that adding it is unnecessary since following 5S correctly will result in a safe work environment. Often, however a poorly conceived and designed 5S process can result in increases in workplace hazard when employees attempt to maintain cleanliness at the expense of ensuring that safety standards are adequately followed.

Poka-Yoke
Poka-yoke is a Japanese term that means "mistakeproofing". A poka-yoke is any mechanism in a lean manufacturing process that helps an equipment operator avoid mistakes. Its purpose is to eliminate product defects by preventing, correcting, or drawing attention to human errors as they occur. More broadly, the term can refer to any behavior shaping constraint designed into a product to prevent incorrect operation by the user.

Poka-Yoke Examples
Examples of poka-yoke in consumer products include: Automatic Transmissions: the inability to remove a car key from the ignition switch of an automobile if the automatic transmission is not first put in the "Park" position, so that the driver cannot leave the car in an unsafe parking condition where the wheels are not locked against movement. 3.5 Floppy Disks: the top-right corner is shaped in a certain way so that the disk cannot be inserted upside-down. High-security padlocks: it is impossible to remove the key from some high-security padlocks unless the shackle on the padlock is closed. Only by locking the padlock can the key be removed. UK 13 Amp Electric Plugs: it is impossible to wrongly insert the plug into the socket, due to its arrangement of three rectangular pins. Microwave Ovens: a door switch automatically disconnects the activation button when the door of the oven is opened. As a result, it is impossible to cook anything in a microwave oven unless the door is fully closed. SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) Cards: The SIM card used in cellular phones has its upper left corner trimmed diagonally to guide the card correctly into position.

SMED
Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is one of the many lean methods for reducing waste in a manufacturing process. It provides a rapid and efficient way of converting a manufacturing process from running the current product to running the next product. This rapid changeover is key to reducing production lot sizes and thereby improving flow. The phrase "single minute" does not mean that all changeovers and startups should take only one minute, but that they should take less than 10 minutes. Closely associated is a yet more difficult concept, One-Touch Exchange of Die, (OTED), which says changeovers can and should take less than 100 seconds.

Acronyms
OFI Opportunity for Improvement ISO International Organization for Standardization LEPC Local Emergency Planning Committee TRI Toxic Release Inventory IMDS International Material Data System MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet CAR Corrective Action Report PAR Preventive Action Report SW3P or SWPPP Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan BMP Best Management Practice

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