OPM2 Assignment

Esterline Technologies: Lean Manufacturing

GROUP AK-1

14S708 Anushka Agarwal

14S719 Karan Gupta

14S735 Sandeep Rao

14S744 Rahul Singh

1. Of the key lean elements described in the case, which ones do you think are most important, and why?

Lean manufacturing or lean production, often simply "lean", is a systemic method for the elimination of waste ("Muda") within a manufacturing process. Lean also takes into account waste created through overburden ("Muri") and waste created through unevenness in workloads ("Mura"). Lean manufacturing was an essential part of Esterlines strategy. The following are the key lean elements described in the case and their advantages:

Value Stream Mapping: It is a lean-management method for analyzing the current state and designing a future state for the series of events that take a product or service from its beginning through to the customer.

The process mapping activity helped employees

To understand product flows

Uncovered bottlenecks

Revealed other opportunities for workflow improvement.

Standard Work: It is the specified task for the employees. It is very important for

Continuous improvement and employee involvement and empowerment

Improved productivity without added stress

Reduction or elimination of errors and mistakes (causes of defects)

Improved cost management as wastes are removed

Visual management: Managers and supervisors can seewhenprocesses are not operating normally. Its advantage are

Simplified version of processes

Better and faster decision making

Easy to make changes in the current process

5-S organization methods: It stands for Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.

Its advantages are

Less Waste (Improved Efficiency)

Reduced Space Used For Storage

Improved Maintenance

Improved Safety

Better& More Committed Employees

Improved Quality

Kanban System: It a Japanese manufacturing system in which the supply of components is regulated through the use of an instruction card sent along the production line. Its advantages include

Flexibility

Focus on continuous delivery

Reduction of wasted work / wasted time

Increased productivity

Increased efficiency

Heijunka: It is a Japanese word thatmeansleveling. When implemented correctly,heijunkacan help an organization in

Better personnel management

Better production efficiency

Customer needs are met

Jidoka: The term means to systems that make it easier to identify and correct errors in real time.

No defective productsproduced

To addhuman judgmentto automated equipment

To minimizepoor quality

To make the processmore dependable

To have problems clearly identified so thatKaizencan be accomplished

To give the employeeresponsibilityand authority to stop production

High-quality productsand improvement in productivity.

2. Based on the case, and your own experience, what do you believe to be the most significant challenges for implementing lean manufacturing? How can organizations overcome these obstacles?

Lean manufacturing or lean production, often simply "lean", is a systemic method for the elimination of waste ("Muda") within a manufacturing process. Lean also takes into account waste created through overburden ("Muri") and waste created through unevenness in workloads ("Mura"). However there are some challenges while implementing lean manufacturing. The various challenges while implementing lean manufacturing and how to overcome these challenges are stated as follows:

Supply Chain Issues

Lean manufacturing includes the minimization or near elimination of storage time for incoming raw materials and outgoing finished goods. Implementing a just-in-time (JIT) ordering system is necessary to ensure that raw materials are constantly coming in at the perfect rate to meet operational demand. This requires close coordination with suppliers, even going as far as integrating automated ordering and order-fulfillment systems between the two organizations. This kind of close operational cooperation can introduce a host of issues, since project managers in both companies must coordinate with each other while managing their own side of the implementation project. The same can be true on the outgoing end, as well. Serving business customers with just-in-time ordering systems can require the business to act as a just-in-time supplier, filling orders frequently and automatically.

Employee Development

Implementing lean manufacturing methodologies in an existing business creates a talent gap that must be crossed. The technological infrastructure required to manage supply-chain issues while maintaining automated production and quality control systems requires more-educated and trained employees than traditional assembly line setups. Lean manufacturers require highly skilled and educated employees to inspect, repair and design the layout of automated production technology regularly. Technical employees will likely require safety certifications and special licenses to operate and maintain such systems, and they demand much higher compensation than general-labor employees.

Cultural Issues

Going lean introduces a revolutionary shift in the way work is done in a manufacturing organization. Implementing lean manufacturing requires a smaller number of employees to take on a wider range of responsibilities, blurring the lines between formal job descriptions. It involves a strict and meaningful commitment to waste reduction, which can mean changing employees' familiar work processes. It should involve reworking incentives and bonus structures to reward behavior and ideas that reduce costs, production time and waste. This requires true buy-in at all levels of a company, from senior managers to front-line machine operators. Successfully developing lean manufacturing processes requires true commitment from everyone involved.

Technological Challenges

Lean manufacturing can require a significant upfront investment in technology, from new production systems to statistical analysis software for monitoring quality improvement on assembly lines. Choosing the right systems is crucial for success as a lean manufacturer, since you will be relying on your systems for the continued efficient operation of your business. One of the tenets of lean business practices is to automate as much as possible, making you more reliant on technology than you may have been in the past.