Lean Pull Siimulation

Electronic Kanban Demonstration

Kanban 2Bin System

Toyota Production System Highlights

TPS reviewed in this vid. ...

Lean Supply Chain: Inherent Risks

Lean manufacturing and kanban inventory pull creates higher risks in the supply-side of the supply chain. Understand your risks and prepare for events. ...

... "Meanwhile, lean manufacturing, globalization and supplier rationalization initiatives have dramatically increased companies' exposure to the risk of supplier instability, shrunk time-to-respond, and decreased visibility. " ...

Via line56: Link

Product-Focused Flows through Lean Six Sigma ...

Invistics creates solution offering that achieves the significant cycle time and inventory reduction in manufacturing using lean flow design, specialized software, and pull scheduling. ...

... "Built on modified Lean and Six Sigma principles, Invistics MachSix uniquely combines flow-based manufacturing methodologies, performance optimization software and variations on demand-based pull scheduling to help today's highly variable production environments gain greater advantage. In fact, Invistics' customers have been able to cut cycle times and inventory in half or more, while achieving on-time delivery rates as high as 99 percent. The MachSix solution alleviates bottlenecks by realigning plants into product-focused flows that leverage the best practices of Lean Manufacturing. Flow paths group products into families or value streams that visit similar pieces of equipment, allowing manufacturers to manage thousands of products with no dedicated machines." ...

Via Invistics: Invistics Has the Skinny on Lean Manufacturing: Why Some Enterprises Fail to Derive Benefits (PDF) ...

Manufacturing Software: Lean Integration ...

Factory Logic collaborates with the Automation and Drives Group of Siemens AG to integrate the Factory Logic Lean software into the Siemens SIPLACE manufacturing optimization solution. ...

... "Siemens will integrate the Factory Logic Lean Operations Suite (Factory Logic) into SIPLACE manufacturing optimization solutions for the global electronic assembly market. SIPLACE is the Siemens product family name for integrated hardware, software and services solutions to support the entire SMT (Surface Mount Technology) production facility. Factory Logic is a software solution designed from the ground up to support demand-driven production scheduling and pull-based supply synchronization using proven lean methods originally pioneered in the Toyota Production System (TPS). As part of SIPLACE lean manufacturing solutions, Factory Logic will enable electronics manufacturers to perform advanced production leveling and kanban/supermarket management functions in conjunction with SIPLACE SMT machines and other Siemens solution components. Factory Logic supports an integrated approach that directly links production to actual customer demand, while maintaining the stability required for consistent, reliable, waste-free factory and supply chain operations. Siemens will sell and support the Factory Logic software as an embedded component of SIPLACE solutions globally. " ...

Via Factory Logic: Siemens to Integrate Factory Logic Lean Manufacturing Software Into SIPLACE Electronics Assembly Solutions ...

Lean Software: Visteon SAIC China JV ...

QAD software enables the lean manufacturing success of the Visteon SAIC joint venture in China. ...

... "QAD Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software solutions for global manufacturers, announced that Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Trim Systems LTD has deployed enterprise software applications from QAD to enable lean manufacturing operations and achieve exceptional inventory and manpower efficiencies. The implementation of QAD's Global Enterprise Edition. QAD GXE has enabled Yanfeng Visteon to gain dramatic reductions in material inventory, substantial reductions in stock space and enhanced data for logistical support and personnel savings. Yanfeng Visteon, a joint venture between SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, one of China's largest automotive manufacturers, and Visteon International Holdings Corporation, one of the world's preeminent automotive component manufacturers, is the leading supplier of spare parts for cars and trucks within China.

Like North American auto and truck manufacturers, the joint-venture company has been faced with the need to change its business processes to reduce inventory costs, enable higher productivity, and meet the requirements associated with sequencing assembly projects. The company's streamlining of operations using QAD provides cost as well as competitive benefits. QAD's software and expertise in lean systems has allowed Yanfeng Visteon to gain a critical advantage over other Chinese companies. Using QAD GXE, Yanfeng Visteon has cut materials inventory, reduced stock area, and cut logistics staff, enabling the company to achieve efficiencies that are unmatched by other enterprise solutions available today, as noted by company executives. Based on Toyota standards for lean manufacturing that are widely accepted by the automotive industry, QAD's Lean Manufacturing solution helps manufacturers effectively use Kanban systems to align inventory with demand for pull-based replenishment. It integrates electronic representation of Kanban processes with core ERP functions to provide comprehensive level loading, tracking and visibility of production, and supports electronic Kanban as well as physical card-based visual systems. " ...

Lean Software: Visteon SAIC China JV: Via QAD: Visteon-Shanghai Joint Venture Turns to QAD to Enable Lean Manufacturing ...

Lean Software Replaces Purchase Orders ...

Timken implements Ultriva lean software to eliminate purchase orders and pull materials into the production process. ...

... "The implementation follows the Timken Kunsebeck plant's successful pilot with Ultriva's lean software across three of its suppliers, which began in May 2005. Implementing Ultriva's lean manufacturing software, which replaced traditional purchase order processes, has already resulted in lead-time reductions of more than 30 percent, the elimination of many stock-outs and significant inventory reductions. Based on pilot results, Timken's Kunsebeck plant is targeting a 20 percent reduction in inventory and inventory carrying costs in 2006. The company also anticipates significant reductions in expediting, storage space, lead times, and overtime, as well as increased buyer and planner productivity. " ...

Lean Software Replaces Purchase Orders: Via Ultriva: Timken Deploys Ultriva Lean Manufacturing Software In Its European Automotive Division ...

Lean Solution: Pull Scheduling Techniques ...

Infor delivers lean solution that leverages pull scheduling techniques ...

... "J&E/Earll has implemented Infor's Easy Lean solution, which has brought pull-oriented scheduling techniques to its production, which includes the manufacture and delivery of make-to order custom metal components and fabricated, finished and assembled final products for industries in some 30 states, Canada and Ireland.

Prior to incorporating Easy Lean into its Infor ERP VISUAL Enterprise software suite, J&E/Earll lacked the tools it needed to meet its delivery performance objectives. Without a formal scheduling or load/capacity capability, work did not flow efficiently. Production was consistently subject to expedited shipments and constantly shifting priorities. After Infor's Throughput Improvement PSO Group provided J&E/Earll with an approach to lean manufacturing, the company was able to use Easy Lean to reduce lead times dramatically, while making it considerably easier to maintain a 95-percent on-time performance level. " ...

Lean Solution: Pull Scheduling Techniques: Fast-Growing Manufacturer Solves Scheduling Challenges with Solution from Infor: Infor solutions enable J&E/Earll Manufacturing to slash lead times and gain 95-percent on-time delivery ...

Lean Manufacturing: Microsoft Roadshow in Europe ...

Microsoft and partners sponsor manufacturing roadshow in Europe to share experiences, such as lean manufacturing and other methods of driving peak performance. ...

... "Microsoft EMEA announced the launch of the Peak Performance Road Show, a series of two-day conference exhibitions wholly focused on the manufacturing sector for CxO and line-of-business executives. The events will take place in cities across Europe between March and June 2006, starting in Munich, Germany, on 13 and 14 March.

Executive attendees will have the opportunity to hear presentations from industry experts, thought leaders and analysts. They will also have the chance to debate current industry issues with their peers and address the challenges that manufacturers from all industries are experiencing: how to reduce new-product development time while continuing to innovate; how to improve the performance of complex plant floor operations; how to obtain a real-time view of the global value chain and achieve lean manufacturing goals; and how to gain a complete view of sales and customer service channels. " ...

Lean Manufacturing: Microsoft Roadshow in Europe: Via Microsoft: Microsoft and Team of Industry Leaders to Host European Manufacturing Road Show: Peak Performance events to bring industry experts and leading manufacturers together to learn from each other ...

Additional Microsoft resources on lean manufacturing ...

Via Microsoft: Automating Lean Manufacturing Process Design Using the Microsoft Office System: "A lean manufacturing process design solution can help organizations reduce lean manufacturing implementation costs, improve collaboration surrounding lean manufacturing implementation, and enhance progress tracking for lean improvement projects. Based on the Microsoft Office System, a lean manufacturing process design solution can be deployed quickly with minimal training costs. "

Via Microsoft: Manufacturers increase profits with Microsoft technology: "Employees at each level of the manufacturing process must have the information and tools they need to support lean manufacturing, and these tools must work together to integrate and enhance the planning, analysis, implementation, and reporting of the lean manufacturing cycle. "

Via eBECS: eBECS pioneer Lean Manufacturing suite for Microsoft Business Solutions – Axapta: "Lean Manufacturing. This is the ability to establish manufacturing cells where downstream triggers pull kanbans through the supply chain. Cells are loaded with orders from Lean ordering and other sources with extensive usage of visual techniques for execution.

Lean Supply Replenishment. While similar to Lean Manufacturing, this module provides functionality which extends electronic kanbans out to suppliers. Lean Supply Replenishment supports everything from simple email kanbans to email alerts for secure website schedule and call-off support. It also handles pulling materials from a central warehouse where the practicality of serving multiple points on a shopfloor makes that appropriate. Both also enable more sophisticated kanban triggers, like backflushing for materials consumption and monitoring bin weigh scales on production cells. "

JIT Kanban Material Pull: Supply Trigger ...

JIT Kanban Material Pull: Supply Trigger: Via Supply & Demand Chain Executive: Rising to the Challenge of the Outsourced Supply Chain ...

... "By this time, SafeView had assembled its supply base, with seven key suppliers, mostly based in the U.S. Northwest so that they could do just-in-time and a Kanban material pull in conjunction with the Plexus production facility outside Boise. " ...

Lean Technology: TPS Production Management ...

Factory Logic has digitized the Toyota Production System TPS to enable standardized production management. ...

Lean Technology: TPS Production Management: Via Factory Logic: FACTORY LOGIC SELECTED AS FINALIST FOR PRESTIGIOUS PACE AWARD: Company’s Enabling Lean Technology Recognized for Superior Innovation ...

... "Factory Logic, the leading provider of Lean solutions that meet the needs of the Customer Demand-Driven Factory, today announced that it has been selected as a finalist for a 2006 Automotive News Magazine’s PACE™ (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contributions to Excellence) Award. The coveted PACE Award honors superior innovation through technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers. Factory Logic’s Lean Operations Suite provides production scheduling and pull-based material flow applications designed to help manufacturers realize the tremendous potential of demand-driven lean manufacturing. " ...

Kaizen Event: 5S Implementation ...

Kaizen 5S process at Stevens Industries reduced cycle times, travel distance, and space requirements, while increasing the production capacity. ...

Kaizen Event: 5S Implementation: Via NIST: Stevens Industries International, Inc.: MEP Providing Hands-On Help through Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership ...

... "Florida MEP worked with Stevens' management team in introducing the principles of lean manufacturing to key employees by presenting a TimeWise Lean 101 workshop thereby providing all team members with the knowledge and necessary tools to advance to the next stage of lean transformation. Stevens then moved on with a Computerized Process Model of their counter top shop in Fort Meyers to evaluate the process in their counter top facility. A value stream map was then created for the Cabinet Manufacturing line, which resulted in a Kaizen event and a 5S-implementation process. The Stevens' Lean Team implemented the basics of lean (5S's, standardized work, quality at the source, pull/kanban systems). " ...

Six Sigma Error Proofing: Manufacturing Software

Manufacturing software enables Lean Six Sigma performance by accelerating component flow through the supply chain ...

Six Sigma Error Proofing: Manufacturing Software: Via IGear Online: Cosma International Selects I/Gear Manufacturing Software ...

... "In automotive manufacturing, I/Gear software enables a wide range of MES applications by providing a foundation for moving data between dissimilar systems and technologies, and the ability to push and pull data to and from the plant floor. I/Gear's application infrastructure software products enable more efficient deployment and maintenance of a near infinite amount of applications to include lot and part traceability, error-proofing and quarantine, on-demand label printing, dynamic scheduling, sequencing, build-to-broadcast, escalating notification, and manufacturing intelligence. The software suite is a complete package as it provides raw data collection and transport, as well as the graphical user interface to view and manage information. " ...

Louisville, KY based I/Gear, Inc., a leader in integrated manufacturing solutions, enables lean and six-sigma manufacturing by enabling manufacturers to make only what the customer orders, without defects, and compress the time required to pull components through supply chains and down through production lines – giving manufacturers a significant advantage over the competition. In addition to Magna, customers include UPS, Accuride Corporation, Dana Corporation, Cooper Tires, International Paper, and Alcan. I/Gear, Inc. is privately held.

Lean Continuous Flow Operation Conversion

In a lean continuous flow operation, the manufacturing operations receive and produce only what is needed, exactly when it is needed. Continuous flow cells use pull systems to manage raw material and WIP, work in process ...

Lean Continuous Flow Operation Conversion: Via HB Maynard: York Casket Case Study ...

... "For York to remain competitive and meet Matthews operating objectives, division management needed to reduce unit costs by 20 to 40 percent. To reach this goal, York partnered with H.B. Maynard and Company, Inc. for assistance in converting the wood casket plant to a Lean Continuous Flow operation. " ...

Inventory Optimization Drives Working Capital Improvements in Supply Chain

Inventory Optimization Drives Working Capital Improvements in Supply Chain: Via LogicTools, Inc.: World Kitchen, Inc. selects LogicTools Inventory AnalystTM for inventory optimization ...

... "LogicTools Inventory Analyst performs global optimization that enables companies to set inventory levels across the supply chain. These improve on the rule of thumb or local calculations typically used by current planning systems. In addition, this technology has produced large savings for companies by optimally locating and sizing inventory as well as determining effective push/pull supply chain strategies. Inventory Analyst uses state of the art optimization algorithms that take into account uncertainties in supply and demand as well variability in processing and distribution times. " ...

LogicTools, a leading provider of supply chain planning solutions, was founded in 1995 by David Simchi-Levi, Professor of engineering systems at MIT. LogicTools provides the expertise, software, services and support that enable comprehensive supply chain planning processes in a variety of industries. LogicTools’ suite of supply chain planning solutions includes network design, inventory planning, and multi-site production sourcing. LogicTools is a long-time SAP Software Partner through its certified integration of LogicNet Plus® which is offered as an extension to the mySAPTM Supply Chain Management (mySAP SCM) solution and Inventory AnalystTM, a multi-echelon inventory optimization solution which is Powered by SAP NetWeaver. LogicTools’ customers include General Motors, IBM, Kraft Foods, Ryder System, UPS, United States Postal Service, Welch’s, Yankee Candle and many others.

PokaYoke in PullSystems CellDesign ...

Cell Design and Pull Systems 160 ...

... "A Japanese term meaning mistake proofing. An example of pokayoke would be a machine designed so that parts can be fixtured only in the correct position. " ...

Lean Manufacturing Facility Design ...

Lean Manufacturing Facility Design: ModusLink Expands its Utah Operations ...

Facility design incorporates lean manufacturing techniques to achieve high-performance supply chain ...

... "The new facility adds 174,624 square feet of operational space and capacity to the current global footprint. Employing lean manufacturing techniques, the center was designed and equipped with highly skilled personnel, equipment, systems and business processes to implement the most efficient and cost effective supply chain solutions. " ...

ModusLink is a leading provider of global supply chain management solutions. The company provides global technology clients in the software, hardware, telecommunications and wireless markets with customized supply chain solutions that reduce risk and time to market and improve efficiency and productivity. ModusLink's services include demand planning, sourcing and procurement, manufacturing support, kitting and assembly, fulfillment, full-cycle logistics, systems integration and development, customer support and optimization consulting. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, ModusLink maintains 37 facilities in 13 countries and employs 3,900 people worldwide. The company is a subsidiary of CMGI, Inc.

Additional resources on lean manufacturing facility designs:

Facilities In Lean Manufacturing Strategy: Lean Manufacturing is all about adding value and avoiding waste. Facility planning (land, buildings, equipment, furnishings) provides the physical capability to add value. ...

Items included in facilities design are plant location, building design, plant layout, and materials handling. The focus of this text is on designing lean manufacturing facilities. This means that all aspects of production should work together to eliminate waste.

Facilities Design for Lean: The lean facility design concentrates on adding value at each activity. This is done by creating one piece flow through cells dedicated to product families. Pull is created through kanban and visual systems. Quick setups are a necessity.

Lean Manufacturing DemandPull Management ...

Lean Manufacturing DemandPull Management: Webinar Demonstration ...

Web seminar by Pelion on their demand management solution for supporting lean manufacturing techniques, such as demand-pull ...

... "Manufacturing Process Optimization (MPO) Demand Manager, Date: Thursday, July 14, 2005 from 1:00-2:00 pm EST, Speaker: Dave Gleditsch, Chief Technology Officer, Pelion Systems, Inc. ... Objective: Dave Gleditsch, will host a complimentary Webinar to demonstrate Demand Manager and highlight how it’s driving automated demand-pull manufacturing at a major Tier 1 automotive supplier and a major consumer appliances manufacturer. " ...

... Demand-Pull system capabilities are integral to optimization of the manufacturing process which leads to excellence in lean manufacturing.

Pelion Systems is the market leader in Manufacturing Process Optimization (MPO) software products and services based on Lean, Six Sigma, and Flow Manufacturing principles. With Pelion, leading manufacturers are able to liberate capital, grow profits and sustain breakthrough performance by optimizing operations and extend their supply network to include suppliers, customers and outsourced service providers in their business transformation. Pelion MPO integrates easily with existing ERP, MRP and APS systems and is able to scale from a single facility to an enterprise implementation. Based in Boulder, Colo., Pelion has sales and marketing offices in Chicago, Detroit and Austin.

Lean Initiative: Five Basics of Lean Thinking ...

Lean Initiative

... "The lean philosophy employs five basic principles of lean thinking: (1) specify value from the perspective of the end customer, (2) identify the value stream for each product, (3) create continuous flow of the product, (4) let the customer pull the product and (5) strive for perfection. Lean is intended to attack muda (Japanese for waste) and give customers exactly what they want, when they want it and perform tasks more and more effectively. " ...

Lean Manufacturing Intelligence Solution ...

ICONICS' New Manufacturing Intelligence Solutions for Regulated Industries

... "ICONICS, a leader in Web-enabled, OPC-based HMI/SCADA and Manufacturing Intelligence Visualization software for Microsoft Windows operating systems, today announced its new Manufacturing Intelligence Software Suite for Regulated Industries. BizViz, ICONICS' real-time manufacturing intelligence solution, enables pharmaceutical and other regulated industries to overcome today's business challenges regarding collection, management, analysis, and sharing of real-time information. ... Configurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) enable real-time performance tracking against set targets. BizViz supports Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Demand Pull process-improvement initiatives with many KPIs used in the pharmaceutical industry, such as OEE, Cycle Time, and Productivity. BizViz embraces the framework of Collaborative Manufacturing, and extends it via a reliable and OPC-based interoperable platform that can be easily customized to meet one's specific needs. " ...

Founded in 1986, ICONICS is a leader in the development of Web-enabled industrial automation and manufacturing intelligence software for Microsoft® Windows® operating systems. Offering the industry's only suite of fully-integrated OPC-based components and products, GENESIS32™ Enterprise Edition is available for Windows XP, 95, 98, Millennium, and 2000, and Windows NT®. Pocket GENESIS™ for Windows CE and Pocket PC was built from the ground up based on ICONICS' OPC-To-The-Core™ framework. BizViz™ is a suite of manufacturing and business intelligence products, which bridge the gap between manufacturing and corporate business information systems. BizViz is designed around Microsoft .NET technology, Microsoft SharePoint™ and runs on Microsoft server 2003. ICONICS also offers a complete set of Plug and Play automation components, including best-in-class OPC ActiveX® Controls, OPC Toolkit, Human Machine Interface (HMI), Microsoft SQL Server®–based data logging, Multimedia Alarming, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) products. ICONICS is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner, represented in over 50 countries and has in excess of 150,000 products installations worldwide.

Lean Enterprise Simulation Model ...

Simulation Model of the Lean Manufacture of NIF Assemblies

... "The concept of Lean Manufacturing, which was pioneered at Toyota, emphasizes continuous improvement through the identification of the value stream and the reduction of waste, and making value flow at the pull of the customer. The Lean concepts have been applied to many manufacturing applications in industry, most notably the major automotive plants. The NIF Lean Enterprise Team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is working to apply the concepts of Lean Manufacturing to the production of the mechanical and optical assemblies which will comprise the NIF system. Application of the Lean concepts requires the identification of the value stream, along with streamlining of the production process, such that unnecessary steps are eliminated, and production flows according to the demand schedule in a 'just-in-time' manner." ...

Kaizen Blitz Involves Workforce ...

Lean Manufacturing - Kaizen Blitz - Involve Your Workforce in the Pursuit of Eliminating Waste ...

... "What is Kaizen Blitz? A Kaizen Blitz is an intensive and focused approach to Process Improvement. Kaizen means continuous improvement and Blitz means lightning fast. This continuous improvement methodology combines lean manufacturing tools such as the 5S's of Workplace Organization and Standardization, Cells, Pull/Kanban, Setup Reduction and Line Balancing. Each tool incorporates team empowerment, brainstorming and problem solving to rapidly make improvements to a specific product or portions of your processes." ...

The Kaizen Event methodology has been used extensively for improving the organization of work in factories and actual methods used to manufacture products. The results are real-time with implementation occurring within one week.

Six Sigma Strategic Supply

Strategic Supply

... "The central aim of this effort is that Honda's flexible and agile lean manufacturing is now better able to respond to a demand pull concept, not only for material flows internal to manufacturing (parts reside in the production plant for a mere six hours) but also to better respond to demand direct from customer orders. Quality control measures such as TQM, ISO 9000, and Six Sigma help companies set and achieve standards of excellence in their production processes. Organizations that successfully implemented such programs are also moving these practices off the factory floor and deploying them throughout the company to improve quality and reduce waste. As a result, many organizations are reducing costs, increasing profits and/or revenues, and meeting customer expectations. Caterpillar considers its Six Sigma process to be its number one critical success factor and it is easy to see why. In one year, Six Sigma returned $40M to the company's bottom line, a substantial return on investment." ...

Lean Initiative: The initiative covers an area of improvement of the product process from concept to operations use of turbine engines in military air

Lean Initiative

... "The principles of lean thinking were first documented in the U.S. by researchers from MIT International Motor Vehicle Program and in the book 'The Machine That Changed the World' by James Womack, Daniel Jones and Daniel Roos. The lean philosophy employs five basic principles of lean thinking: (1) specify value from the perspective of the end customer, (2) identify the value stream for each product, (3) create continuous flow of the product, (4) let the customer 'pull' the product and (5) strive for perfection. Lean is intended to attack muda (Japanese for waste) and give customers exactly what they want, when they want it and perform tasks more and more effectively. " ...

Lean Value Stream for NIF Assemblies

Simulation Model of the Lean Manufacture of NIF Assemblies

... "The concept of Lean Manufacturing, which was pioneered at Toyota, emphasizes continuous improvement through the identification of the value stream and the reduction of waste, and making value flow at the pull of the customer. The Lean concepts have been applied to many manufacturing applications in industry, most notably the major automotive plants. The NIF Lean Enterprise Team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is working to apply the concepts of Lean Manufacturing to the production of the mechanical and optical assemblies which will comprise the NIF system. Application of the Lean concepts requires the identification of the value stream, along with streamlining of the production process, such that unnecessary steps are eliminated, and production flows according to the demand schedule in a 'just-in-time' manner." ...

Heijunka Pull System ...

Heijunka Box Used at United Electric Controls - Watertown, MA:Shipping Using a Pull System

From Office of Naval Research's Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program ...

... "UE uses a Heijunka box to schedule and control the flow of work: Since implementing its new shipping system, UE decreased the number of short shipments and incorrect part shipments, as well as eliminated many problems associated with the previous method. Orders are now consolidated for shipment which creates fewer transactions. Shipping supervisors can determine the status of the shipment by looking at the Heijunka box, and assign additional help as needed. Folders, outfitted on distribution carts, hold the paperwork and indicate the daily completion status of a customers order by which folder is used. In addition, UE reduced the number of domestic shippers from four to two, even though the volume of shipments has increased." ...

The Office of Naval Research's Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program was created in 1985 to help businesses identify, research, and promote exceptional manufacturing practices, methods, and procedures. Its objective is to empower defense and commercial customers to operate at a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness. To this end, BMP has three core competencies represented by tools and resources that enable organizations to identify and apply best practices and become part of a vast, mutually supportive information exchange network.

Supply Chain Management Software: LogicTools' Inventory Analyst is Certified for SAP Net Weaver

Supply Chain Management Software: LogicTools' Inventory Analyst is Certified for SAP Net Weaver

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... integration of LogicNet Plus(R), the leading network design solution, which is offered as an extension to the mySAP(TM) Supply Chain Management (mySAP SCM ...

... LogicTools inventory Analyst 4.0(TM) has been certified for the SAP NetWeaver(TM) integration and application platform and is now "Certified for SAP NetWeaver." This will enable access to Inventory Analyst(TM) through SAP Enterprise Portal. LogicTools is already an SAP software partner through its certified integration of LogicNet Plus(R), the leading network design solution, which is offered as an extension to the mySAP(TM) Supply Chain Management (mySAP SCM) solution. Inventory Analyst enables companies to make strategic inventory decisions based on the entire supply chain. This technology has produced large savings for companies by optimally locating and sizing inventory as well as determining effective push/pull supply chain strategies. For this purpose, LogicTools' Inventory Analyst uses state of the art optimization algorithms that take into account uncertainties in supply and demand as well variability in processing and distribution times. ...

LogicTools (www.logic-tools.com) a leading provider of supply chain planning solutions was founded in 1995 by David Simchi-Levi, Professor of engineering systems at MIT. LogicTools provides the expertise, software, services and support that enable comprehensive supply chain planning processes in a variety of industries. LogicTools' suite of supply chain planning solutions includes network design, inventory planning, and multi-site production sourcing. LogicTools has been instrumental in helping companies gain competitive advantage in the market by replacing extremely complex, expensive and customized software implementations on the one hand and limited spreadsheet analysis on the other. Optimizing the supply chain results not only in significant savings (typically 5%-15%) but also provides clarity of vision and better understanding of the trade-offs. LogicTools has customers across many industries including, CPG, Food, Retail, 3PL, High-Tech, Process & Discrete Manufacturing, Automotive and Public Sector. Some of LogicTools' customers include Del Monte, General Motors, IBM, Kraft Foods, Mercer, Ryder Systems, True Value Hardware, UPS, United States Postal Service, Welch's, Yankee Candle and many others.

Kanban Techniques: JLG Industries, Inc. - McConnellsburg, PA - Continuous Flow Manufacturing ...

From Office of Naval Research's Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program ...

... "focus was redirected to analyze up-stream operations. A steering team, organized to develop goals and objectives, established policies and procedures to ensure all personnel were working in the same direction. Company-wide teams were developed to plan and implement physical layout changes. All CFM problems were resolved when highlighted by teams. A facilitator was assigned the role of being the champion for CFM and its integration in the manufacturing process. Pilot areas were developed to prove out changes, and the changes were integrated throughout manufacturing. Pull and Kanban systems were implemented, supplier partnerships were developed, and rate-based scheduling was introduced." ...

Kanban Techniques: Mantech Success with Demand Pull Supplier Pilot Program for the JDAM Supports the Warfighters, Operation Enduring Freedom ...

From AFRL/ML Success Story ...

... "At some facilities the Lean practices used involved eliminating ergonomic problems by designing new tools, or altering work-station configurations that improved the physical nature of the production process. A production floor process known as Kanban (Japanese) was also installed where needed. Kanban is the use of cards, carts or crates as signals to trigger production in feeder operations. Air Force ManTech benefits by having a proven business case relating supplier development activities directly to measurable improvements in cost, quality and schedule for the JDAM program. Boeing benefits through risk reduction in support of meeting their pre-negotiated cost and schedule milestones for JDAM, both for their scheduled production increases and for their surge demands, anticipated to be more than 2,800 kits per month." ...

For over 85 years, the men and women of the Air Force Research Laboratory have sought to make a better flying machine. Since 1917, when the directorate was activated as the Materials Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and its predecessors have played key roles in research and development efforts that have advanced aerospace capabilities to where they are today.

Kanban Technqiues: Kaiser Electronics - San Jose, CA - Demand Flow Technology Manufacturing

From Office of Naval Research's Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program ...

... "integrated assembly, test and inspection pull manufacturing system that has been widely used in the Far East and the United States. This method applies Kanban techniques to trigger the manufacturing process and incorporates components from almost all aspects of a manufacturing operation from line design to work instructions. The technique accommodates lot sizes down to one, and provides for flexibility in scheduling throughput by allowing operators to perform various processes within the manufacturing cells." ...

NAVAIR Depot Gets Lean ...

From NAVAIR, Susan Brink, NAVAIR Public Affairs Specialist writes ...

... "NAVAIR Depot Jax has determined that the next step to be taken to become a world-class organization is the empowerment methodology known in the industry as Lean Operations. So what is Lean, and why use that tool in the depot environment? Lean is simply a method that was initially developed by the Japanese to manufacture automobiles, referred to as the Toyota Production System. The method has evolved into a very dynamic tool set that is applicable to all businesses and disciplines. Its primary focus starts with the identification and elimination of waste. Waste, in this instance, refers to any activity in a process that does not add value to the generation of a quality product. Some examples include the time associated with waiting for parts or paperwork, searching for parts, and walking around the plant to retrieve tools, parts, or work instructions. Lean also transforms production processes from an inefficient push system to a more efficient and less costly flow and pull system. There are other businesses in the industry that utilize the Lean methodology and have seen success. NAVAIR Depot Jax has partnered with General Electric Aircraft Engines to see what has worked for them and identify processes throughout the Depot to review." ...

Taiichi Ohno: Lean Initiative

From AFMC/industry team looks for turbine engine improvements ...

... "The philosophy, Lean Production, was pioneered by Toyota executive Taiichi Ohno and used in the Toyota Production System. The principles of lean thinking were first documented in the U.S. by researchers from MIT International Motor Vehicle Program and in the book 'The Machine That Changed the World' by James Womack, Daniel Jones and Daniel Roos. The lean philosophy employs five basic principles of lean thinking: (1) specify value from the perspective of the end customer, (2) identify the value stream for each product, (3) create continuous flow of the product, (4) let the customer 'pull' the product and (5) strive for perfection. " ...

Lean Value Stream: Resource Management

From Robins Air Force Base, Air Force Materiel Command ...

... "By 1950, the Japanese, who greatly admired Henry Ford, established the Toyota Production system that began to eliminate waste from the process. In the 1970s, the Japanese continued to implement American principles by Juran, Deming, Shewhart, and Crosby at Toyota. By 1980s, Americans took notice of the loss of market share of automobiles, shipbuilding, electronics, avionics, office equipment, etc., and embraced Quality. By the late 1980s, Toyota had nearly achieved Lean. Over the years, the Air Force explored various programs such as Zero Defects, Meaningful Measures of Merit, Total Quality Management, and QP4 in an effort to streamline processes and eliminate waste. By 1990, the focus became Lean Principles with the establishment of five principles: Value, Value Stream, Flow, Pull, and Perfection. By 2000, Lean was used in Production, Services and Remanufacturing. With Lean, the customer determined the first principle to be value, based on cost, quality, and delivery. " ...

Robins Air Force Base, home of Warner Robins Air Logistics Center and more than 60 other units that make up a vital part of the Air Force war fighting team. It is the largest industrial complex in Georgia, employing a work force of over 25,584 civilian, contractor, and military members.

Kanban System: Stryker Howmedica Osteonics - Allendale, NJ:Demand Pull Planning System

From the Office of Naval Research's Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program ...

... "Howmedica Osteonics developed the Demand Pull Planning System which is based on the philosophy of placing just enough material on the production floor to satisfy the rate of customer demand. The company developed its new philosophy by exploring concepts from other reliable systems (e.g., lean manufacturing, just-in-time, KanBan, finite loading, levelized scheduling, one-piece flow), and blending the best processes from these systems to best fit its situation. In the past, Howmedica Osteonics used a traditional push system which employed Material Resource Planning (MRP) techniques to control and track everything. Push systems tend to place an overabundance of parts on the factory floor, which leads to large volumes of work in process (WIP), excessive inventories, significant overhead for tracking parts, large queue areas consuming valuable floor space, and high cycle times. This approach also typically results in higher costs and low customer service. In 1992, Howmedica Osteonics developed the Demand Pull Planning System which is based on the philosophy of placing just enough material on the production floor to satisfy the rate of customer demand." ...

Kanban Technique: United Electric Controls - Watertown, MA:KanBan Pull Production System ...

From the Office of Naval Research's Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program ...

... "UE established a paperless inventory reduction and production control system based on the Japanese KanBan technique. Before implementing the KanBan system, the factory was full of work orders. Every work order had a priority stamp; some with multiple priority stamps. There was no way to see what the priority sequence should be within the stacks of paper. Many times work orders were duplicated so that the same part was ordered twice. KanBan is a method of pulling production through the factory based on a customers withdrawal of a finished product (a customer order). When the final assembly work center pulls subassemblies for installation in the final products, the subassembly work center is triggered to pull parts for the subassemblies. " ...

Kaizen Blitz: MEP Source For Manufacturers

From the Manufacturing Extension Partnership MEP ...

... "A Kaizen Blitz is an intensive and focused approach to Process Improvement. Kaizen means continuous improvement and Blitz means lightening fast. This continuous improvement methodology combines lean manufacturing tools such as the 5S's of Workplace Organization and Standardization, Cells, Pull/Kanban, Setup Reduction and Line Balancing. Each tool incorporates team empowerment, brainstorming and problem solving to rapidly make improvements to a specific product or portions of your processes." ...

MEP stands for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. MEP is a nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in nearly 350 locations nationwide, whose sole purpose is to provide small and medium sized manufacturers with the help they need to succeed. The centers, serving all 50 States and Puerto Rico, are linked together through the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. Centers are funded by federal, state, local and private resources to serve manufacturers. That makes it possible for even the smallest firms to tap into the expertise of knowledgeable manufacturing and business specialists all over the United States. These specialists are people who have had experience on manufacturing floors and in plant operations.

Kanban Systems: Electronic Option For Lean Manufacturing

From Information Week ... Lean manufacturing practices are helping businesses simplify supply chains, but companies still often rely on paper-based kanban systems to monitor inventory ...

" ... Lean manufacturing practices are helping businesses simplify supply chains, but companies still often rely on paper-based kanban systems to monitor inventory needs. Now, SupplyWorks Inc. has an electronic kanban tool that uses bar codes instead of printed paper cards containing replenishment information. Kanban, the Japanese term for signal, establishes a pull instead of push system of moving goods through a factory ... "

SupplyWorks, Inc. is the leader in direct materials supply management software that helps discrete manufacturers improve procurement execution, optimize the flow of parts and materials into their plants and lower their parts and material costs. SupplyWorks enables manufacturers to communicate and collaborate more tightly with their suppliers, increase throughput, and reduce inventories without reducing manufacturing responsiveness and flexibility. SupplyWorks is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, with offices located throughout the United States. SupplyWorks® SOURCE™ provides manufacturers with the visibility and tools they need to understand, analyze, and manage component and materials costs across multiple plants and procurement centers. SupplyWorks SOURCE is helpful both in optimizing immediate buying decisions and in managing supplier relationships for best value over time.

Six Sigma Asset Management: Apriso and AeroScout Team Up to Create the First Global, Real- ...

From TMCnet ... product genealogy, in-line production sequencing, real-time, RFID-based asset management, lean supply, successive refinement (kaizen), six-sigma quality levels ...

FlexNet® 2003 is a new type of enterprise software that is focused entirely on an enterprise's global supply, production, and distribution processes. Unlike legacy enterprise software, which institutionalizes — in billions of lines of code — a plan-driven, top-down approach to business, the FlexNet brand provides a real-time, event-driven model that can be used to institutionalize strategic business initiatives such as "lean supply," six-sigma quality programs, portable or re-usable processes, and demand pull, as well as provide for 'relentless efficiency' in all of your operations, around the world.

Extended Kanban Control System: Production Coordination of Assembly Manufacturing Systems

From IIE Transactions ... In assembly manufacturing systems there are points in the production process where several component parts are put together in areas called assembly cells so as to form more complex parts called subassemblies. This paper compares two variants of the Extended Kanban Control System (EKCS): a recently developed pull production control mechanism that combines base stock and kanban control for the production coordination of assembly manufacturing systems. In both variants, the production of a new subassembly is authorized only when an assembly kanban is available. Assembly kanbans become available when finished subassemblies are consumed. If an assembly kanban is available, in the first variant, each component part of a subassembly is released into the assembly cell as soon as it is available (independent release). In the second variant, however, it is released only when all other component parts also become available (simultaneous release). In both variants, when a component part is released into the assembly cell, it releases its kanban, thus authorizing the production of a new component part...

GIG Six Sigma Enterprise Architecture: Pentagon Devises Innovative IT Strategy

From ComputerWorld ... The central capability of the GIG will be to deliver Six Sigma-quality secure messaging, collaboration, services management, content assurance, knowledge ...

The Global Information Grid is the globally interconnected, end-to-end set of information capabilities, associated processes, and personnel for collecting, processing, storing, disseminating, and managing information on demand to warfighters, policy makers, and support personnel. The GIG includes all owned and leased communications and computing systems and services, software (including applications), data, security services, and other associated services necessary to achieve Information Superiority. It also include National Security Systems as defined in section 5142 of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996. The GIG supports all Department of Defense, National Security, and related Intelligence Community missions and functions (strategic, operational, tactical, and business), in war and in peace. The GIG provides capabilities from all operating locations (bases, posts, camps, stations, facilities, mobile platforms, and deployed sites). The GIG provides interfaces to coalition, allied, and non-DoD users and systems.

Global Information Grid (GIG) Enterprise Services (ES), a suite of value-added information, web, and computing capabilities that will improve user access to mission-critical data. GIG ES will provide access—anytime, anywhere—to reliable decision-quality information through the use of cutting-edge, web-based, networked services. The GIG ES will improve the decision-making ability of warfighters and business people by transforming the way they receive information. Information producers will post information and advertise its availability. End users will pull mission-tailored information quickly and precisely from anywhere within the network. GIG ES will provide power to the edge, providing information from the command center to the warfighter, from the producer to the consumer, in record time. The main benefit is an improved speed and quality of information with which to make decisions.

Lean Manufacturing Pull System: MassMEP coaches help Chase Leather streamline

From The Herald News, MA ... Jack Healey. "We teach these companies what is called the pull system or Lean Manufacturing, first developed by Toyota. The ...

Lean Six Sigma Course: Lean Thinking Applied to Services and Administrative Functions...

Lean Thinking is a philosophy and a powerful set of tools designed to eliminate waste from processes. It also focuses on what adds value in processes from a customer's perspective. While its roots are in manufacturing, this workshop covers how to apply it to services and administrative functions. Lean thinking provides fast and dramatic results. If you are looking for an approach that builds on TQM and past improvement techniques, lean thinking uses many "old" and familiar tools in fresh and innovative ways, and is the next generation of organizational and process improvement.

Course Agenda

Overview: Process Improvement Evolution

Past Improvement Thinking

Origin of Lean Thinking

What is Lean Thinking?

Identifying Waste in Service Processes

Definitions of Service Waste

Looking for Waste in Processes

Value-Added versus Non-Value Added Activities in Work

Benefits of A Lean Thinking Approach

Lean Thinking Cycle

Cycle of Lean process

Service Family

Balanced Scorecard

Value Stream Mapping: A Planning Tool

Kinds of Value Stream Maps

Lean Measurements

Value Stream Map Example

Value Stream Mapping Exercise

Design Principles of a Lean Value Stream

Value

Value Stream

Flow

Pull

Perfection

Future State Mapping Exercise

Value Stream Mapping Events

How To Organize And Conduct A Value Stream Mapping Event

After The Mapping Event

Lean Thinking or Improvement Events

Planning An Improvement Event

Conducting An Improvement Event

Implementing Lean in Your Organization

How To Use Lean In Your Organization

Lessons Learned Implementing Lean Thinking In Service And Administrative Area

Lean Manufacturing Software: SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 Adds Innovative New Features to Established ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... New functionality in SupplyWorks MAX 5.0 includes enhanced kanban-based replenishment to support lean manufacturing, innovative new wireless connectivity based ...

SupplyWorks® MAX™ helps discrete manufacturers optimize the flow of parts and materials and manage their relationships with key suppliers to achieve greater flexibility and responsiveness while driving down costs. By combining procurement execution, planning, and management in one integrated application, SupplyWorks MAX helps manufacturers control the total performance of their supply base - hour by hour, day by day, and year after year. The efficient procurement execution functions are focused on assisting and automating transactions between buyers and suppliers. SupplyWorks MAX supports automated supply ordering, tracking and expediting processes, as well as VMI, kanban, and other "pull" replenishment methods for improving inventory management. Triggers, alerts and automatic notifications greatly reduce the amount of manual effort required to "feed the factory".

SupplyWorks, Inc. is the leader in end-to-end strategic sourcing and purchasing solutions that help discrete manufacturers improve their supply management and lower their direct material costs. Founded by pioneers in B2B eCommerce, SupplyWorks has grown rapidly and boasts an unusually experienced management team with deep expertise in enterprise applications, supply chain management, Internet technology, and developing reliable software for the demanding manufacturing environment. SupplyWorks is privately held and backed by several leading venture capital firms.

PeopleSoft First to Deliver Demand-Driven Manufacturing Solution ...

From Business Wire (press release) ... PeopleSoft is also introducing the next generation of Lean Manufacturing -- Demand Flow(R) Line Design based on patented intellectual property licensed to ...

PeopleSoft® Enterprise Manufacturing Solution focuses on optimizing production processes and ensuring alignment with key business goals by connecting customers, suppliers, and employees with manufacturing best practices. Only Manufacturing helps companies eliminate waste and maximize demand-driven efficiency while aligning production processes with core business goals in real time. Align manufacturing processes by deploying mixed-mode manufacturing techniques including make-to-order, Lean, make-to-stock, or other unique process needs.

PeopleSoft recently acquired JCIT International's Demand Flow software, a leading variant of lean manufacturing methodology. JCIT's Demand Flow has vaulted PeopleSoft among the select few software vendors explicitly able to deliver comprehensive lean manufacturing support. Lean manufacturing has been getting increased interest recently, and PeopleSoft now has an upper hand to delver technology, consulting, and education that should enable companies to transform themselves into demand-driven enterprises.

Customer Success with PeopleSoft Lean Manufacturing Application: FWMurphy has dramatically increased its efficiency by implementing a wide range of PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne solutions, often as an early adopter. The technology has enabled FWMurphy to claim an impressive list of accomplishments: consolidate its manufacturing facilities, make more strategic decisions, practice lean manufacturing, reduce its inventory, provide better customer service, improve its order promising, and build an eBusiness foundation that is the envy of other companies. Today, with a leaner manufacturing operation, the company uses a pull system that tells suppliers to replenish only the parts that have been used recently.

Lean Six Sigma at Sandia National Laboratories...

... Since adopting Lockheed Martin's Lean/Six Sigma project management approach, Neutron Generator Production Center 14400 has seen: a 50 percent reduction in MC4277 neutron tube frame defects; a 66 percent reduction in piece part and fixture packaging time; a 33 percent reduction in neutron tube exhaust cycle time; and reduction in work in process and cycle times due to implementation of "pull." An operational goal of producing 80 neutron tubes per month for three consecutive months was achieved in October through December of 2001. Center 14400 intends to implement Lean/Six Sigma into all aspects of neutron generator operations and business practices... (14400) Ruben Muniz, rbmuniz@sandia.gov

Since 1949, Sandia National Laboratories has developed science-based technologies that support our national security. Today, over 272 million Americans depend on Sandia's technology solutions to solve national and global threats to peace and freedom.

Lean Manufacturing: NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Drives the Lean Enterprise...

A Lean Enterprise produces more with existing resources by eliminating non-value added activities. Manufacturers are facing increased worldwide competition and the stakes are high. The winners in this competition work to eliminate overproduction caused by traditional scheduling systems and only make what customers want when they want it.

The NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership offers workshops in lean techniques. One-Day Workshop: Principles of Lean Manufacturing... Lean is part of an integrated suite of tools and services developed specifically for manufacturers. At this workshop the principals of lean manufacturing are taught... During simulation exercises, lean concepts are applied such as standardized work, visual signals, batch-size reduction, pull systems, and more. Experience firsthand how lean manufacturing improves quality, reduces cycle time, improves delivery performance and reduces WIP and enables the simulated enterprise to show a profit.

MEP stands for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. MEP is a nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in over 400 locations nationwide, whose sole purpose is to provide small and medium sized manufacturers with the help they need to succeed. The centers, serving all 50 States and Puerto Rico, are linked together through the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. Centers are funded by federal, state, local and private resources to serve manufacturers. That makes it possible for even the smallest firms to tap into the expertise of knowledgeable manufacturing and business specialists all over the United States. These specialists are people who have had experience on manufacturing floors and in plant operations.

Lean Kanban: NOT STAMPED OUT, Being sorted

From Asahi Shimbun, Japan ... were overhauled. Toyota's streamlined kanban signboard method, whereby inventory is ordered only when needed, was introduced. The ...

Kanban is the Japanese word meaning card and signal, or signboard. Kanban provides a visual sign to "pull" more work from one process to the next, which maintains an efficient flow of materials through the business process. It is usually a printed card with specific information such as part name, description, quantity, location, supplier, delivery, etc. Every object that moves through the production sequence has an accompanying kanban.

Lean Manufacturing Software: DemandStream Partners With Angus-Palm to Provide Lean Enterprise ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... About DemandStream DemandStream is a Lean conversion kit for ERP systems where Cell/Kanban management is deployed within the factory in conjunction with ...

DemandStream optimizes your entire supply chain for greater visibility, reduced lead times and increased profitability. Changes in demand are communicated instantaneously. Requirements for shipping, manufacturing and purchasing move in step with the market. It's an intricate balancing act, but the benefits are huge. Acting as an "Automated Lean Conversion Kit” for ERP systems where Cell or Kanban management is used, DemandStream creates essential visibility in the vendor/customer supply chain in a "real time" environment. It provides factory floor management of Dynamic Kanbans, Lean Material Flow management and supply chain material/demand signals and visibility to vendors and customers. DemandStream is based on Demand Pull scheduling and material flow. DemandStream's innovative approach includes the Dynamic Kanban that enables manufacturers to utilize Demand Pull in high mix, uneven customer demand environments.

Lean Manufacturing Software: Valcom Experiences Dramatic Results After Rapid Implementation of ...

From Internet Telephony Magazine, CT ... From award-winning software to strategies in Lean Manufacturing and TOC, Lilly Software offers companies the tools they need for higher productivity and ...

VISUAL Easy Lean is a fast-implementing solution that supports the principles of Lean Manufacturing. It is a scheduling method that works with VISUAL Enterprise™ and delivers significant results within 30-90 days. By making a few simple changes to traditional business practices and by incorporating pull-oriented scheduling techniques, gains in visibility are created that allows for better decisions, release of inventory at optimal times, and smooth production flow. VISUAL Easy Lean helps avoid chaotic situations on the production floor, and enables and enterprise to take on increased business and drive more money to the bottom line.

VISUAL Enterprise for Repetitive Manufacturers enable quick and easy view and management of material supply and demand across your organization. Designed using the Just In Time philosophy that strives to eliminate sources of manufacturing waste by producing the right part in the right place at the right time. VISUAL Enterprise for Repetitive Manufacturers achieves this functionality through a combination of system tools and shop floor procedures: Kanban cards. Kanban and cell manufacturing cards allows for accurately tracking production floor events and helps make better-informed business decisions.

Lean Supply Chain Practices: Inventory Management Products are sensor-based.

From Industrial News Room, NY ... s family of sensors (iBin, iShelf, and iPallet) and iVision their Web-based visibility software, enable today’s most progressive lean supply chain practices...

Visible Inventory, Inc. is an industry leading provider of true real-time inventory management solutions. Visible Inventory's solutions help organizations eliminate costly shortages, maximize inventory turns, and decrease labor costs associated with cycle counting. One of the underlying principles of lean practice is the elimination of waste and all unnecessary activities. Visible Inventory's solutions supply unprecedented visibility about a supply chain thereby minimizing on-hand inventory and the manpower to deal with that inventory. iSeries sensors and SuppliLink software enable remote management of large inventories in real-time. Visible Inventory is the quickest and simplest path to real-time lean practices. Companies incorporating point-of-use inventories, demand flow techniques, pull systems or Vendor Managed Inventory projects will benefit from an iShelf solution.

Kaizen Conference: Two New Lean Production Workshops Help Local Manufacturers ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... - Value-Stream Mapping (June 8): learn a fundamental initial step that creates the blueprint for applying other lean tools and running kaizen events. ...

Technical Workshops and Value-Stream Management Seminars: Managers pursuing lean transformations tell us that two of their biggest obstacles are a lack of implementation know-how and backsliding to the old ways of working.

To help you eliminate these and other tough obstacles, LEI now offers expanded training with workshops in lean technical tools as well as seminars in lean management.

Service Conference: Leaders from a variety of industries - including healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, and government - will share the lessons they've learned in applying lean principles to service, support, and office processes at the first Lean Service Summit, June 23-24, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Full conference and registration details.

Technical Workshops
Learn how to apply the core knowledge and methodologies of key lean tools. Workshops are comprehensive, but delivered in plain language with the case studies, worksheets, formulas, and methodologies you need:

Value-Stream Mapping A fundamental initial step that creates the blueprint for applying other tools and kaizens.

Administrative Mapping Apply the straightforward value-stream mapping tool to nonproduction value streams.

Creating Level Pull Create a lean production control system for all the product families within a facility by implementing pull between processes and a leveled schedule at the pacemaker process.

Creating Continuous Flow Create continuous flow — not fake flow — at the pacemaker process and in other production cells by focusing on the human factors of the operation and how to balance the work to takt time.

Making Materials Flow How to implement, sustain, and imporve a dependable material-handling system for purchased parts using pull, timed delivery routes, a central supermarket, and a Plan for Every Part.

Lean in Process Industries Learn how the logic and tools of lean apply in process industries.

Creating Basic Stability Eliminate the root causes of key equipment problems along value streams in such areas as availability, speed, flexibility, and quality.

Lean Logistics Understand where and how to apply lean concepts to logistics, how to analyze costs and balance them among logistics functions, and how to truly eliminate unnecessary inventories rather than shifting them to other areas of the value stream.

Change Agent Skills Discover an analysis tool and communications format that use the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle to build support for lean initiatives by clearly demonstrating the benefits in human and organizational terms.

Value Stream Mapping for Product Development Eliminate development waste with a specially adapted version of value-stream mapping that deals with complex information flows across multiple functions.
Train the Trainer in Value-Stream Mapping Provides you with the knowledge and training materials for running your own value-stream mapping workshops.

Lean Manufacturing Implementation: Solutia Announces Nylon Industrial Fiber Price Increases

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Aggressive cost reduction efforts over the past 18 months, the implementation of Lean Manufacturing principles, and stringent use of asset effectiveness ...

Sample Solutia Job Posting includes Lean Manufacturing techniques...

Plastic Products, North American Supply Manager, St. Louis, MO

Major Responsibilities: The Supply Manager is responsible for the Sales and Operations Planning Process for Plastic Products North America; scheduling the Westport facility; and developing/implementing integrated scheduling, material flow, and warehousing strategies.

S&OP
- Coordinate the Sales and Operations Planning process (S&OP) and actively participate by managing S&OP reports and running monthly S&OP meeting.
- Develop finished good inventory plans consistent with corporate inventory targets.
- Translate demand forecast and inventory plans into the Production Plan.
- Review demand, material availability, and capacity to achieve desired service levels.
- Act as consolidator of WW Supply plan in support of the Executive S&OP
Master Scheduling
- Develop processes and strategies that successfully disaggregate the production plan into an executable master production schedule.
- Simplify the Master Scheduling process to meet both front-end (Sales) and back-end (Operations) functional requirements without jeopardizing customer service/satisfaction.
- Act as liaison between production, product development, and purchasing to ensure that materials and labor are available to support revenue & inventory plan for new and existing products.
- Maintain working knowledge of latest developments in master scheduling techniques and continually evaluate and change current processes to improve schedule performance.
- Manage the master schedule, production plan, and SAP to effectively and efficiently introduce new products into production and into the supply chain.
- Maintain appropriate master data setting and creation . Includes Material master and Recipes.
Material Flow
- Develop and document lot sizing, inventory management, and warehouse stocking strategies.
- Implement best practices in material flow to better manage the movement of product through the factory.
- Perform work flow analysis and layout optimization to reduce manufacturing and order fulfillment cycle time.
- Utilize process improvement techniques such as lean manufacturing, pull systems, kanban, 5S, process mapping, value stream analysis, and setup reduction.

Qualifications/Competencies: - Bachelors degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering or other Engineering
- 2+ years experience in production environment.
- Fluent in Microsoft Access and Excel. Strong SAP skills a plus.
- Excellent analytical and problem solving skills with a solid commitment to continuous improvement and the ability to produce positive results.
- Extremely organized, detail oriented and accurate with the ability to multi-task and prioritize.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Must be an independent and creative thinker.
- APICS Certification Preferred

Lean Kaizen: New LEI Workbook Tackles Lean Production Control and System ...

From PRNewswire (press release) ... This is a new step towards 'system kaizen' that is not yet well ... Or they focus on "flow kaizen" that improves the entire value stream for one product family. ...

... Creating Level Pull, the new workbook from the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), shows readers how to advance a lean transformation from a focus on isolated improvements to improving the entire plantwide production system by implementing a lean production control system.

"The workbook is unique because it is a step-by-step case study on how to implement a level, pull-based production control system," said author Art Smalley. "This is a new step towards 'system kaizen' that is not yet well understood outside of Toyota."

The lean efforts at most companies focus on "point kaizen" (e.g., reducing setup times, implementing 5S, etc.) that improves a small portion of the value stream running from raw materials to finished products. Or they focus on "flow kaizen" that improves the entire value stream for one product family.

Creating Level Pull shows how companies can make the leap to "system kaizen" by introducing a lean production control system that ties together the flows of information and materials supporting every product family in a facility.

With this system implemented, each production activity requests precisely the materials it needs from the previous activity and demand from the customer is leveled to smooth production activities throughout the plant...