Lean principles: the continuous flow
R. Secchi
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TRADITIONAL VS LEAN
TRADITIONAL LEAN
Flow unit
Resources/Asset
(workers, equipment)
Maximizing the output Minimizing the lead time
Maximizing utilization
Continuous approach
Batch and Queue approach (one piece at a time)
This is make one move one and there is no stock in
between. 1) The transfer has to be at the same pace.
2)NO MURA --> Reliability
3)Conformity/Quality
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THE FLOW
• Continuous Flow is defined as producing one piece at a time with each piece
flowing from one step to the next without delay or storage.
• Batch Processing is a major enemy of continuous flow since it results in
excess inventories and low flexibility.
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THE FLOW
Batch & queue process
• The cycle time is 1 min/pc.
• Batch of 3 pieces has to be handled.
• How long does the white piece take to get through the process?
The white piece will take 9 minutes to get through the process.
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THE FLOW
Continuous flow: make one, move one
• The cycle time is 1 min/pc.
• One piece at a time has to be handled.
• How long does the red piece take to get through the process?
The lead time is 3 min
LT = f (batch size) this means that lead time is a function of batch size and lead time will reduce when we reduce the batch size.
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PURSUIT THE FLOW: TAKT TIME
• Takt Time is used to synchronize the rate of production with the pace of
demand.
• In a Lean Process, every process step is able to produce to Takt Time.
Receive Check Enter into Issue Takt Time:
document data the system policy 30 s
Cycle Time: 30 s Cycle Time: 30 s Cycle Time: 30 s Cycle Time:30 s
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PURSUIT THE FLOW: TAKT TIME
• Takt Time indicates how often a product needs to be made based on the rate
of demand
Available Working Time
Takt Time =
Average Customer Demand
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PURSUIT THE FLOW: TAKT TIME
• In a financial service company, there is a demand for 500 credit cards per
day. What is the takt time of the process assuming that the cards are
processed in one shift every day and the duration of a shift is eight hours, of
which 90 minutes is devoted to breaks, lunch and meetings?
6,5 h x 60 min x 60 sec
TAKT TIME = = 46,8 sec
500
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PURSUIT THE FLOW: LOAD LEVELLING
• Distributes the work elements so that each operators’ / equipment work
content is just below the takt time in order to address the variability.
This is bottle neck because the cycle time longer then takt time
Takt Time Takt Time
60 sec 60 sec
To avoid waste, the cycle
time of each step should
be as close as possible
to the takt time
1 2 3 4
You balance and reallocate the processes to reduce the waste and remove the bottleneck.
This is waste
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VALUE STREAM MAPPING (VSM) This is the common way to visualize the process in a lean method.
6week 90/60/30 d
Forecast Production Forecast
Michigan Steel Control State Street
Weekly Daily
Fax Order
500 ft coils MRP 18,400 pcs/mo
Information -12,000 L
Flows - 6,400 R
Tray = 20 pcs
Weekly Schedule 2 Shifts
Daily Ship
Tues+ Schedule
Thurs
1x
daily
Stamping S. Weld #1 S. Weld #2 Assembly #1 Assembly #2 Shipping
200T
Staging
Physical Flows I 1 1 1 1 1
I I I I I
Coils 4600 L 1100 L 1600 L 1200 L 2700L
5 days 2400R 600R 850R 640R 1440R
C/T = 1 s C/T = 39 s C/T = 56 s C/T = 62 s C/T = 40 s
C/O = 1 hr C/O = 10 min C/O = 10 min C/O = 0 C/O = 0
Uptime = 85% Uptime = 100% Uptime = 80% Uptime = 100% Uptime = 100%
27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail
Batch = 2 wks 2 Shifts 2 shifts 2 shifts 2 shifts Lead Time =
23.6 days
5d 7.6 d 1.8 d 2.7 d 2d 4.5 d
1 sec 39 secs 46 secs 62 secs 40 secs
Processing
Time = 188s
Source: Learning to See, Rother and Shook, Lean Enterprise Institute, 1999
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VALUE STREAM MAPPING (VSM)
6week 90/60/30 d
Forecast Production Forecast
Michigan Steel Control State Street
Weekly Daily
500 ft coils
Fax
MRP
Order
18,400 pcs/mo
AVERAGE DEMAND
-12,000 L
18.400 pcs / 20 days =
- 6,400 R
Tray = 20 pcs
Weekly Schedule 2 Shifts
920 pcs/day
Daily Ship
Tues+ Schedule Hp: 20 working days
Thurs
1x
daily
4600L+2400R Stamping S. Weld #1 S. Weld #2 Assembly #1 Assembly #2 Shipping
200T
Staging
I 1 1 1 1 1
I I I I I
Coils 4600 L 1100 L 1600 L 1200 L 2700L
5 days 2400R 600R 850R 640R 1440R
C/T = 1 s C/T = 39 s C/T = 56 s C/T = 62 s C/T = 40 s
LEAD TIME C/O = 1 hr
Uptime = 85%
C/O = 10 min
Uptime = 100%
C/O = 10 min
Uptime = 80%
C/O = 0
Uptime = 100%
C/O = 0
Uptime = 100%
7.000 pcs / 920 pcs/day =27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail 27,600 s avail
Lead Time =
7,6 days
Batch = 2 wks 2 Shifts 2 shifts 2 shifts 2 shifts
23.6 days
5d 7.6 d 1.8 d 2.7 d 2d 4.5 d
1 sec 39 secs 46 secs 62 secs 40 secs
The stock covers 7.6 days of Processing
average consumption Time = 188s
Source: Learning to See, Rother and Shook, Lean Enterprise Institute, 1999
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EXTENDED VALUE STREAM MAPPING (EXT VSM)
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EXTENDED VALUE STREAM MAPPING (EXT VSM)
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EXTENDED VALUE STREAM MAPPING (EXT VSM)
10.5 hours of processing time to forge, machine, and assemble the part.
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EXTENDED VALUE STREAM MAPPING (EXT VSM)
13.3 hours of processing time to forge, machine, and assemble the part .
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