Lean Manufacturing Consultancy Programme - 1. The Diagnostic

In organisations with a typical functional manufacturing architecture, (where similar manufacturing processes are grouped together) we use a seven step approach in our lean manufacturing programme to deliver breakthrough performance for our clients:

1. Lean Manufacturing Diagnostic
2. Team Selection
3. Team Training
4. Lean Manufacturing Concept Design
5. Lean Manufacturing Detail Design
6. Lean Manufacturing Implementation
7. Post Implementation Audit

Lean Manufacturing Consultancy - 1. Diagnostic

Using lean manufacturing consultancy to (for example) move an operation towards a "cellular" architecture from a "functional" or "process" one, can typically deliver, labour savings of 20-30%. Additional reductions in WIP and lead times (typically by 50%) generate significant cash. And even outside of manufacturing environments, lean manufacturing consultancy principles are often surprisingly successful when applied to non-manufacturing operations.

Prior to commencing a lean manufacturing consultancy programme, we can help clients by conducting a brief diagnostic. Firstly the findings enable the client to understand broadly what benefits are likely to be delivered from a lean manufacturing consultancy programme. This provides sufficient data for an informed go / no-go decision and for realistic targets to be set.

It's equally important though, to understand the manufacturing system holistically, to establish the scope of the assignment appropriately. This avoids any temptation to say, optimise a sub-system at the risk of not optimising the entire manufacturing system.

During a lean manufacturing consultancy diagnostic, asking questions like these can be helpful:

• Is the manufacturing "system architecture" "functional/process" or "cellular"?
• How regularly is the manufacturing "system architecture" formally reviewed and optimised ?
• What's the most appropriate way to segment the products being manufactured?
• For representative examples of main product segments, what distances are travelled during manufacturing?
• How many changes in ownership during the manufacturing cycle are there - a key cause of poor levels of continuous improvement in cost, quality and delivery?
• Compare the sum of manufacturing cycle times (value added), to the entire manufacturing lead time / cycle time (value added + non value added). How does it look? Benchmark levels for batch manufacturing environments are: ~50% of total lead time is value added.
• Considering the manufacturing system as a whole - list out the number of operators (adding value) and the number of non-operators (not directly adding value to the product), including: storemen, planners, quality controllers, materials handlers etc compared to lean manufacturing consultancy benchmarks?
• What are the planning and control systems used during the process?
• How realistic are the assumptions made about load vs. capacity?
• How consistent/variable are manufacturing lead times compared to lean manufacturing implementation benchmarks?
• Where data based push type control systems are used (e.g. MRP):
• are Bills of Material >98% accurate?
• Are supplier and manufacturing lead times >98%?
• Are item master files >98% accurate ?
• What are the current scheduling rules?
• What evidence of pull based production control systems?
• How successful is the company's supplier quality assurance (SQA) and product/component quality assurance (PQA) schemes? Do they eliminate the need for goods inward inspection?
• What evidence is there of suppliers delivering directly to lines and self-scheduling ?
• What evidence is there of a formal approach to "Make vs Buy" decision making?
• Are formal "Make vs Buy" decisions made on the basis of "process competence" vs. "contribution to sustainable competitive advantage"?
• How much emphasis is placed on "after-the-event" quality systems (like inspection) compared to preventive quality systems (e.g. poka-yoke, machine and process capability studies, statistical process control, or design of experiments type approaches compared to lean manufacturing implementation benchmarks?
• What are the key drivers of batch sizes?
• How are bottlenecks identified and managed?
• How much emphasis is there on visual control?
• How much emphasis is there on self-managed work groups, with lots of ownership and empowerment to improve cost, quality and delivery?
• What evidence is there of employee led continuous improvement?
• What evidence of the 5S s?
• How much emphasis is placed on operator ownership for first line maintenance?
• What proportion of preventive maintenance is done - really, compared to lean manufacturing implementation benchmarks?
• How is the management of plant maintenance segmented - a traditional "mechanical" / "electrical" segmentation or into "breakdown" / "preventive" teams.
• In batch manufacturing environments, is there routine batch splitting e.g. using Nagare principles?
• How much emphasis is placed on making to stock (to drive plant utilisation higher and reduce costs) compared to re-shaping the manufacturing process to deliver exactly what the customer wants, when they want it?
• Is the level of emphasis on buying faster "super-machines", with faster cycle times, really the most cost effective way of improving total process throughput?

Other Lean Manufacturing Articles

• Can Lean Manufacturing Consultants Save UK Industry?
• Lean Manufacturing Tools & Techniques.
• Lean Manufacturing Consulting an Introduction.
• Engaging a Lean Manufacturing Consultant.
• A Lean Manufacturing Consultant's View of Cell Manufacturing.
• Lean Manufacturing Implementation for Cellular Manufacturing.
• Are you looking for a Lean Manufacturing Consultant in the UK?
• The eight wastes and how a Lean Manufacturing Consultant Eliminates Waste
• Implementing Lean Manufacturing in Non-Manufacturing Environments.
• Lean Manufacturing Consultants - a Holistic Approach.

Supply Chain Consulting Services from Executive Interims

In addition to providing lean manufacturing consultancy services, Executive Interims - Supply Chain Practice provides clients with consultants with "Big Four" consultancy firms experience, including:

• supply chain consultants
• logistics consultants including: supply chain planning & control & also warehousing & distribution transport consultants etc.
• purchasing consultants and procurement consultants

Selecting Executive Interims for Your Lean Manufacturing Consultancy Programme

Unlike many of the bigger consulting firms, who prefer to maintain advisory roles, our specialists will be happy to take full ownership for the delivery of your lean manufacturing consultancy programme and "hand you the cheque", if that's how you want to work. We specialise in delivering results not just recommendations.

Using a specialist in lean manufacturing consultancy can be a particularly valuable approach when its necessary to augment an already stretched team to deal with high profile / value / risk projects.

Furthermore a specialist in delivering lean manufacturing consultancy from Executive Interims - Supply Chain Practice will always represent better value for your investment compared to a consultant from a "Big Four" firm, either by virtue of our consultants' additional expertise or their equivalent expertise but their lower total cost.

Looking for Support for Your Lean Manufacturing Consultancy Programme?

If you're interested in lean manufacturing consultancy , and you'd like to know more about what Executive Interims - Supply Chain Practice's lean manufacturing consultants can do for your business, contact us to explore the subject further.