What are lean technologies? Lean manufacturing to optimize processes and jobs Lean technology in trade

Lean manufacturing (Lean system) is a special approach to organizing management at an enterprise. It aims to improve the quality of work by reducing waste. Michael Vader talks about the intricacies of this concept in his book. Lean manufacturing tools are used at all stages of an enterprise's activities - from design to product sales. Let's look at them in more detail.

Lean manufacturing tools and their essence

The basic principles were developed in the late 1980s and 1990s. The main goal of the system is to reduce actions that do not add value to the manufactured product throughout its entire life cycle. When choosing lean manufacturing tools and methods, you must be guided by the following principles:

1. Develop leadership at every level of process management.
2. Team leaders must develop long-term and short-term strategies using information received from subordinates.
3. Each leader is responsible for the results of their own projects.

The use of lean manufacturing tools is aimed primarily at improving the quality of work. It should be assessed at all levels, and the results should be shared by all employees. The enterprise must develop clear instructions and rules for each group of specialists. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure their close relationship and mutual assistance. It is necessary to train personnel to quickly identify production errors and correct them just as quickly. To involve all employees in the implementation of the concept, certain standards for key quality parameters should be developed.

Lean Manufacturing Tools: A Mini-Guide

The main task of the enterprise management, striving to improve product quality by reducing losses, is to create a clearly developed action plan. The development of instructions and rules should ensure the formation of an integrated system and increase staff motivation. They must have a logical connection with each other. The system identifies the following main lean manufacturing tools:

1. Visual management.
2. "Just in time."
3. Standard operating processes.
4. Mapping.
5. Organization of places 5S.
6. Built-in quality.

TRM

Total Productive Maintenance represents total process maintenance. As mentioned above, lean manufacturing tools are aimed at reducing losses. As a rule, they are associated with equipment downtime due to breakdowns and excessive maintenance. The main idea of ​​TRM is the involvement of all employees of the enterprise in the process, and not just specialists of individual services. Thus, each employee must know the specifics of equipment maintenance and be able to quickly fix the problem on their own. The success of using TRM depends on how well the idea is conveyed and how positively it is received by the staff.

TRM stages

The implementation of lean manufacturing tools requires following a given pattern. The peculiarity of TRM is that, on the basis of this approach, a planned and smooth transformation of the existing service system at the enterprise into a more advanced one is possible. For this purpose, the following stages are provided within the TRM:

1. Operational repair. It involves an attempt to improve the existing system by identifying weak areas in it.
2. Predictive maintenance. We are talking about organizing the collection of information about existing problems in the operation of equipment for subsequent data analysis. At the same time, preventative maintenance of the machines is planned.
3. Corrective maintenance. Within its framework, equipment is being improved to eliminate the causes of systematic failures.
4. Autonomous service. It involves the distribution of functions related to ensuring the uninterrupted operation of machines between the repair and operational services of the enterprise.
5. Continuous improvement. This element includes all lean manufacturing tools. Continuous improvement actually means involving employees in constantly searching for the causes of losses and proposing ways to eliminate them.

Visual management

It represents such an arrangement of parts, tools, production operations, information about work efficiency, in which they will be clearly visible. This will provide process participants with the opportunity to assess the state of the entire system at a glance. The implementation of visual management is carried out in several stages:

1. Jobs are being organized.
2. Important information about safety, quality standards, operations and equipment use is visualized.
3. Results are shown and process efficiency is assessed.
4. Decisions are made in accordance with the visualized information.

Standard Procedures

It should be noted that lean manufacturing tools are designed in such a way that their use can only be carried out comprehensively. Otherwise, the activity will not bring the expected effect. Within the framework of the system, special instructions are developed that define the step-by-step sequence of execution of any operation. Oral recommendations are either distorted or forgotten. In this regard, they are replaced by written instructions, for which the following requirements exist:

1. They should be easy to understand. For this purpose, instead of long texts, diagrams, drawings, photographs, and special symbols are used.
2. Constantly reviewed and updated in accordance with changes in the order of operations.
3. Developed together with employees. This will ensure their credibility and ensure they are perceived positively.

Right on time

Just In Time is a way to reduce production cycle times by providing services, materials and other resources only when they are needed. This allows the following activities to be carried out:

1. Reduce batch volumes to the minimum economically beneficial.
2. Balance the number of employees, equipment, and materials.
3. “Pull” products - the productivity of current operations is determined by the needs of upcoming ones.
4. Use audiovisual methods to monitor the condition of the product and the workload of machines.
5. Delegate decision-making on managing the movement of goods to the lowest possible level.

Mapping

It presents the process of creating a simple graphical diagram that visually depicts the information and material flows that are required to provide services or products to end users. Mapping allows you to immediately identify bottlenecks and, based on the results of its analysis, determine unproductive operations and costs. Based on this, an improvement plan is developed. It is customary to take as the time of value creation the period of work through which the product is transformed so that the consumer is willing to pay for it. The creation flow is all the activities that are necessary to produce it. As practice shows, in most enterprises losses amount to up to 80%.

Stages of creating a diagram

Mapping includes the following activities:

1. Documenting the current state. At this stage, the process of creating any value (or a group of them) is described in detail. In this case, all states and operations, the required time, the number of information flows, the number of workers, and so on are indicated.
2. Analysis. Mapping is carried out to identify activities that do and do not create the value of the product. Some of the latter cannot be eliminated (for example, accounting). However, they need to be optimized as much as possible. Others can be eliminated or unified. To implement these tasks, it is necessary to find out the customer’s requirements for the quality of the product and its consumer properties. Based on this, those characteristics are established that cannot be excluded under any circumstances, and those that can be adjusted by agreement.
3. Create a future state diagram. This map reflects the ideal situation after all the planned changes have been made. At the same time, hidden losses are identified for their subsequent elimination.
4. Develop an improvement plan. At this stage, methods of transition to the ideal (future) state are determined, specific tasks are assigned, deadlines and persons responsible for the implementation of the program are established.

Built-in quality

This technique allows you to manage the condition of a product directly at the point of its creation. Built-in quality includes:

5S

This system involves the effective distribution and organization of work space. It, like other lean manufacturing tools, helps improve zone control and saves time. The system includes:

1. Sorting.
2. Rational use of space.
3. Cleaning.
4. Standardization.
5. Improvement.

The 5S system allows you to reduce the number of errors in documents, create a comfortable climate in the enterprise, and increase productivity. The undoubted advantage of this tool is the absence of the need to use new management theories and technologies.

Lean manufacturing is an enterprise management system that helps eliminate waste and improve business efficiency. In this article we will explain the essence of the system and talk about the key principles.

Lean manufacturing is...

In short, this is a production culture, and not a set of tools and methods for improving and increasing work efficiency. The system is based on a constant desire to eliminate all types of losses.

The introduction of the lean production concept implies that all employees of the enterprise are familiar with the basics of this theory, accept it and are ready to build their activities in accordance with it.

How the system came about

The concept originated in Japan after World War II, when large-scale efforts were required to restore industry, infrastructure, and the country as a whole, and resources were extremely limited. In such conditions, the founder of the concept, Taiichi Ono, implemented his management system at Toyota factories.

Later, American researchers transformed the Toyota production system (TPS) into a Lean manufacturing system, which includes not only the developments of the Toyota concern, but also the advanced experience of Ford companies, the works of F. Taylor and E. Deming.

Four steps to lean production. Implementation practice.

Philosophy concept

The concept is based on assessing the value of the final product for the consumer. Therefore, all processes occurring in the enterprise are considered from the point of view of creating additional value. The goal is to minimize processes and operations in manufacturing that do not add value to the product in order to eliminate waste.

There are 8 types of main losses:

1. Overproduction, cluttering of finished goods warehouse.
2. Expectation. In the absence of an established production process, downtime occurs, which adds cost to the product.
3. Unnecessary transportation. The less movement of material assets in space, the lower the costs.
4. Unnecessary processing steps that do not add significant value.
5. Excess stocks of raw materials and supplies.
6. Defects and defects. A significant loss that affects the costs and image of the enterprise.
7. Unrealized employee potential. Trust and attention to people is a key element of the system.
8. Overload and downtime due to insufficient planning.

Regardless of the company's position in the market and its financial performance, it must constantly improve its processes. The organization of a lean production system is not a one-time action on the principle of “set it up and everything works,” but a continuous process that lasts for years.

Read also:

How it will help: understand when to abandon unprofitable or unpromising investments in order to avoid large losses.

How it will help: identify the company’s business processes that bring additional losses and identify those responsible.

Lean Manufacturing Principles

Over time, lean production management techniques emerged. There are more than thirty of them in total, but in this article we will consider the main ones - for the widest range of enterprises:

How it will help: develop an effective cost optimization plan.

How it will help: determine which expenses should be cut completely during a crisis, what else can be saved on, what measures to apply to optimize the company’s costs.

How it will help: find out the reasons for their growth and what to do to limit it.

Examples of using the lean manufacturing concept in Russia

The GAZ Group has been implementing the lean system for more than 15 years and received the following results:

• reduction in the volume of work in progress by 30%;
• increase in labor productivity by 20–25% every year;
• reduction of time for equipment changeover up to 100%;
• reduction of the production cycle by 30%.

In 2013, RUSAL began to connect suppliers to the lean production system, primarily transport companies, because Logistics costs make up a large part of the cost of production. This approach resulted in a 15% cost savings over five years.

The integrated application of lean production methods in the KAMAZ association made it possible to obtain a significant economic effect:

• reduction in tact by 1.5 times,
• release of 11 thousand pieces of large containers,
• reduction of inventories by 73 million rubles,
• reduction of production space by 30%.

The path to success for the listed companies took from 7 to 15 years. Advice for those who have begun implementing the system - do not give up what you started if there are no results in the coming months and years.

Lean manufacturing technologies

1. Value Stream Mapping

Mapping is a graphical representation of an enterprise’s business processes and their further optimization (see. ). The process involves creating a visual and understandable map of creating value for the client - a product or service. As a result, you will identify bottlenecks in production and determine the path to improving the situation.

2. Pull production

The point is that each previous stage produces only what the next one orders from it. Since the consumer is the last in the chain of stages, the “pull” mechanism means maximum customer focus. The final price is “flow into one product”, where the goods at each stage are produced to order, that is, there are no stocks of raw materials, no work in progress, or stocks of finished goods in the warehouse. Such a mechanism is rather a utopia, but constant attention to inventory management and reducing them to a minimum is an effective tool for reducing costs.

CANBAN means card in Japanese. The essence of the method is that the “customer” department generates a production order card for the “supplier” department and the “supplier” supplies the “customer” with exactly the volume of raw materials, components or finished products that were ordered. CANBAN can operate not only within one enterprise, but also between several enterprises within a holding company or even with suppliers. Thus, intermediate warehouses and finished product warehouses are reduced down to zero. But using the CANBAN tool requires a high degree of consistency across the supply chain. Another significant advantage of the system is the timely detection of defects, which are sometimes hidden during mass deliveries. Therefore, CANBAN's goal is not only "zero inventory" but also "zero defects."

4. Kaizen

The fusion of two hieroglyphs “kai” and “zen” (“change” and “good”) is a philosophy of continuous improvement of business processes in general and each individual process in particular. The good thing about this tool is that it shows the general methodology for working on processes and can be used in any area, even outside of work. The idea of ​​kaizen is that each employee, from the operator to the company manager, brings a certain value and strives to improve the part of the process for which he is responsible.

The 5S system is one of the lean manufacturing methods. The system describes the productive organization of the workplace and the strengthening of work discipline.

6. Just in time (just in time)

A lean manufacturing tool involves the production and delivery of raw materials, parts and components no earlier and no later than the moment the need for these material assets arises. It is related to the “Pull Manufacturing” described above and helps to reduce raw material balances in warehouses, storage and moving costs, and increase cash flow.

7. Fast readjustment(SMED - Single Minute Exchange of Die)

The method is designed to reduce equipment downtime during changeover by converting internal operations into external ones. Internal operations are those that are performed while the equipment is stopped, external operations are those that are performed while the equipment is still running or is already running.

8. Total Productive Maintenance System

The system assumes that all personnel, and not just technical employees, are involved in equipment maintenance. The focus is both on selecting the highest quality, most modern equipment for the plant and ensuring that it performs at peak performance, extending its life through preventive maintenance schedules, lubrication, cleaning and general inspection.

9. Finding the bottleneck

Or, in other words, finding the weak link. The tool is based on the fact that in production there is always a bottleneck that needs to be found and expanded. The search for a weak link needs to be done periodically, this is the key to improvement.

10. Gemba. "Battle Site"

This tool is designed to constantly remind you that the main action (“battle”) takes place not in the head office, but in the workshops. This is a planned (regular) or unplanned (for example, due to a problem) exit of managers to production, which allows increasing the involvement of management in the process, obtaining first-hand information, and reducing the distance between employees and managers.

Gennady Kuzin Deputy General Director
Andrey Kulikov Head of the Center for Management Technologies and Lean Manufacturing
Consulting laboratory "Open Innovations"

LEAN systems (which usually include the philosophy of Lean manufacturing, its tools (LEAN technologies) and trained personnel), after resounding success in the automotive industry, are already used in all other industries (including energy, transport, metallurgy, oil and gas, etc.), in trade, services, housing and communal services. Moreover, LEAN systems are now being used in non-profit areas, such as healthcare, government, and even the military. This is not surprising, because... The approach is based on common sense and simple visual tools that help develop productive solutions even for the most advanced cases. However, LEAN technologies have become so widespread in the West, but in our country it is still in its infancy. As a rule, in our country these are either tiny islands of Soviet developments (in the USSR they still followed innovations in improving the organization of production, tried to adopt foreign innovations and make their own developments), or localized divisions of Western companies.

Instead of a LEAN system - separate LEAN technologies

With full-scale use of Lean Manufacturing approaches, a company creates a full-fledged LEAN system that permeates all levels and subsystems of management. Within the framework of this system, enterprise employees perform work operations using optimal methods (replication of best practices). Line managers monitor production losses on a daily basis and take prompt action to prevent, eliminate, or reduce them. In this they are helped by optimizers - employees of a special service who have in-depth knowledge of the approaches and tools of Lean Manufacturing. Management plans and conducts its activities in terms of production efficiency, which is monitored daily, and sometimes even hourly. Of course, all this is supported by a general LEAN culture (which, by the way, can be mastered in our country - there are examples), when, for example, in order to move up the career ladder, it is imperative to develop and implement an improvement for the process in which you work.

However, there is one difficulty with LEAN systems. They take years to build, and often their implementation costs a tidy sum (which later pays off, but not immediately, gradually). What to do if you don’t have the time and money for such a big undertaking, but you want to significantly improve operational efficiency?

Fortunately, in most cases, to identify and implement internal reserves, there is no need to implement a full-scale LEAN system; you can use the very idea of ​​Lean Manufacturing and some simple LEAN technologies to get significant results right now.

Of course, the possible effect in this case will be slightly less than from an entire LEAN system, but an increase in labor productivity by 1.5-2 times is also a very desirable result. Coupled with optimization of other costs, this can lead to a significant increase in profits.

LEAN technology approach

The general approach in the case of local application of LEAN technologies is a cycle of 5 steps (Fig. 1). The process of optimizing an organization's activities begins with studying the problem. Those. We must first identify the problems that exist in the process under study and which we will solve using LEAN technologies. After all, a correctly formulated problem is a half-solved problem. Moreover, sometimes the situation develops in such a way when, as a result of research, it turns out that the initially posed task (or named problem) is not such, but lies in a completely different area of ​​knowledge.

Rice. 1. General approach to production optimization

Therefore, at the first step, we collect facts (statistics from accounting and control systems, established standards, instrument readings, photos and videos, etc.) and information about the problem (presence and origins/causes of incidents, opinions of process participants, previous experience, views on the problem, etc.). Based on the results, a list of problems and an array of information on them are formed.

At the second step, the array of information is analyzed to get to the root causes: “Why does this problem arise?” This is a very important step, since in order to obtain a sustainable result, it is necessary, in medical terms, to treat first of all the disease, and not its symptoms.

Once the root causes have been identified, you can move on from studying the problem to developing optimization solutions. It begins with the third step, which is the search for possible solutions. As practice shows, the optimal balanced solution can always be found, and with the use of certain technologies (for example, “Optimization Funnel”, 5C, etc.) there can be several of them.

In the fourth step, the proposed solutions are assessed in terms of their effectiveness in order to select the most preferable ones, and then develop and implement an action plan for their implementation. By the way, when developing an action plan, we absolutely must not forget that the process being studied and optimized cannot be in a vacuum, i.e. Changes in one process usually entail changes in related processes.

Many domestic enterprises forget about step 5, but it is very important when optimizing processes, because As part of this step, the result of implementation is consolidated. With the help of standardization of activities, monitoring of parameters and other technologies for fixing the solution, the situation is not allowed to roll back over time to its original state. The result of the fifth step should be a stable functioning solution. After the process has been improved, its content and parameters are changed, you can again proceed to step 1. This cycle contains the iterative nature of optimization: there is no limit to improvement!

This approach is reminiscent of the scientific method. At least it has its advantages in terms of objectivity, measurability, provability, etc. But at the same time it is quite simple, because... in essence, this is just organizing your own thoughts and searching for ideas, which every sane person can do. There is nothing complicated about this; in our projects we can cope without Newton’s binomial, and even without quadratic equations. However, it requires discipline in the use of tools, refusal to be tempted to deceive oneself when faced with the real facts of the organization's work, and a willingness to think for innovation.

“Business diagnostics” or “Team for optimization”?

The use of LEAN technologies can be divided into 2 approaches:

• Business diagnostics
• Optimization command

Our team of specialists has behind us projects implemented both by our own consultants (“Business Diagnostics”) and by the client’s employees under the mentorship of consultants (“Optimization Team”). Each of these approaches has its own advantages.

For example, Business diagnostics allows you to look at the organization with an independent (expert) view. Due to experience, the consultants’ measurement results are more accurate, and the project itself is implemented faster.

During the Business Diagnostics project, client employees may be involved to collect information or clarify individual nuances of problem solving. In special cases, external experts on specific issues may also be invited.

Based on the results of the project, the customer receives solutions to problems (stated by the customer himself or identified during diagnostics) - for example, a set of measures to increase operational efficiency or labor productivity. In addition, if necessary, materials are developed to replicate the best practices found or developed.

On the other hand, does anyone know the processes of an organization from the inside better than the people who work there? Therefore, in the projects of the “Team for Optimization” series, the emphasis is on the organization’s employees. They understand their enterprise better, so you just need to help them see the reserves. At the same time, the project deadlines are limited, so it is advisable to train them in the simplest optimization tools that can be mastered in a week of training.

During the project, the client’s employees undergo theoretical training in the basics of Lean Manufacturing, after which, together with consultants, they study the organization’s problems and develop optimization solutions. As development progresses, optimizers defend their initiatives to enterprise management.

Upon completion of the “Team for Optimization” project, the enterprise, in addition to solving its problems, also receives a group of specialists who can carry out similar projects independently, without consultants.

It works if done right

However, the question arises: if everything is so simple, then what prevents the implementation of LEAN technologies in enterprises everywhere?

Each step has tools that make sense to use on it (although in some cases they can be used on other steps as well). There are many such tools, and the decision of what is best to use for research depends on the specifics of the task and the level of training of optimizers.

For example, at the stage of collecting facts and information, we recommend that novice optimizers use the tools shown in Fig. 2.

Rice. 2. Tools for collecting facts and information

However, all tools at any stage must be used wisely. Using tools “just in case” or “carelessly” is not only a “waste” of optimizers’ resources, but also errors in decision-making that can cost the organization too much.

In our optimization team training, we focus on practice, while explaining the nuances of a particular tool. For example, when conducting interviews for optimization purposes, we recommend doing the following:

1. Decide on the purpose of the interview and prepare.
   • The person you are going to interview will have about an hour to answer you, because he, as a rule, is at work. Next time he may not be free at all soon. To spend this time effectively, first of all, determine for yourself what exactly you want to find out. “Learn about problems” is not the goal. About the problems of whom or what? For this day or this month? And if he says there are no problems, then what next?
   • Based on the purpose of the interview, make a list of questions for yourself (questionnaire, interview guide). In one hour you will be able to ask no more than 10-15 questions. This list will help you control the progress of the interview. But there is no need to strictly adhere to it; if during the interview you “dug up” something useful, you can deviate to ask a few additional questions.
   • Agree on a date and time for the interview with the interviewee so that it is convenient for him. It is not recommended to do an interview longer than an hour, because... After an hour of conversation, a person gets tired, tries to answer briefly and concisely, and sometimes begins to get angry.
2. In an interview, first talk about the interview itself.
   • All people are frightened by the unknown to one degree or another. Most likely, this will be the first interview with an optimizer for your interlocutor, so first explain to the interviewee what you are going to do with him: tell him about the purpose of the conversation, what you will ask and what interests you in the first place.
   • Try not to use “dangerous” words. Unfortunately, the word “optimization” in Russia has acquired a negative connotation and is often directly associated with mass layoffs, although this is not always the case. Use “euphonious” formulations: increasing labor productivity, reducing costs, improving processes, etc.
3. Interview together (at least at first)
   • The risk of losing information is significantly reduced, especially if the interviewee likes to talk a lot and quickly.
   • The risk of emotional rejection by the interlocutor is also reduced, because there is such a thing as interpersonal incompatibility (simply because everyone is different). When you go to talk together, the likelihood of the interviewee being incompatible with both optimizers decreases sharply.
   • Each of us has psychological filters of perception. Some people love football, and others love dubstep. We listen carefully to what is interesting to us and remember it, but sometimes we ignore what is uninteresting. To make sure there is less time missed, two people go to the interview.
4. Lead the interview, don't leave it to chance
   • Sometimes interviewees like to run wild with their thoughts and go off into the wilds that have nothing to do with the matter. Gently, tactfully, but steadily bring the interlocutor back to the topic of the interview.
   • Sometimes, on the contrary, they answer extremely sparingly and reluctantly. Don't be afraid to repeat the same question, but in different words (use CHKGKKSP - see sidebar)
   • If you hear the name of any documentation that was previously unfamiliar, ask to see a sample of it or write down its details so that you can find it later.
5. Write down
   • Always write it down. The percentage of people with phenomenal memory is very small; you are unlikely to be one of them. Therefore, the feeling that you can remember everything is most likely self-deception.
   • If possible and the interviewee does not object, then use a voice recorder. But be sure to warn him about this (for ethical reasons).
   • After the conversation, write a report about the interview, in which you systematize the information received. If the two of you interviewed, check with each other.
6. Save contact (on completion of interview)
   • Thank the interviewee
   • Take his contact information (a mobile phone number is especially valuable)
   • Ask permission to ask specific questions in the future.
   • If there are many unasked questions or new ones that have arisen, agree on another interview.

It would seem that the advice is simple and seemingly “obvious”. But if you neglect even one of them, the effectiveness of the interview may suffer greatly. The optimizer has too little time for research to take such liberties.

Description of problems

As a result of the first stage of optimization, facts and information about the problem will be collected. This is very important because... the development of specific solutions is possible only after a detailed analysis of the initial data. From this point of view, the concept of “problem” and its correct interpretation are important.

In everyday understanding, a problem refers to the lack of something, various unpleasant situations, the consequences of such situations, and general discomfort. Therefore, it is necessary to define the problem so that there is a clear understanding between optimizers (and those being optimized) of what is meant (what we are improving after all).

In the framework of projects to optimize production and administrative and management processes, we believe that the problem is a quantifiable delta between the required (target, normal, standardized) and the current state of the process.

For example, we call a problem:

• Oil production is 90 tons/day instead of the planned 100 tons/day.
• The cost of manufacturing chemical products is 15 rubles/kg instead of the planned 12.
• Review of documentation for the purchase of material and technical resources on average in 10 days, although according to the standard no more than 5.

Why is it preferable to write down problems in this form? The fact is that this approach has a number of advantages that allow optimization work to be carried out more efficiently. Among them:

Accuracy A measurable indicator allows you to accurately determine the problem area without using “approximate” ratings (“bad”, “good”, “insufficient”, etc.)

Objectivity Specific measurements do not depend on the opinions of individual people, but are truly objective.

Fixation of the initial state In optimization projects, it is important to reflect the starting point of the transformations in order to subsequently take this into account to formulate options for changes and select the best one.

Provability of the effectiveness of the developed solution The solution should be aimed at eliminating the identified problem. In this regard, each solution is assessed in relation to how much it closes the gap between the required state and the original one. This will be proof of the correctness of the choice made.

Evaluation of optimization progress As the chosen solution progresses, it becomes possible to monitor its success as the problem indicator changes. As soon as it enters the required (target, normative) state, there is reason to believe that the problem has been solved.

In light of the above, each specific solution should have the most suitable configuration for the problem area. Figuratively speaking, you should choose a key so that it best suits the identified problem (Fig. 1). This is often not so easy to do, which is why it is recommended to use special tools to analyze the problem.

For example, a solution such as outsourcing is a very attractive solution at first glance, but it should be remembered that it can be fraught with pitfalls. To ensure its effectiveness, a number of preliminary studies should be carried out.

Problem Analysis Tools

At the stage of problem analysis, a scrupulous approach plays an important role, since in order to obtain a sustainable result, it is necessary, in medical terms, to treat first of all the disease, and not its symptoms.

Rice. 3. Tools for Problem Analysis

Among these tools:

Tree of reasons– a structured graphic presentation of the logical relationships from the identified problem to the reasons for its occurrence. The result is a diagram in the form of a tree. This tool helps to get to the root causes of emerging problems.

Description of the business process, simply put, is a statement of the sequence of operations performed by workers to transform input resources (raw materials, materials, components) into the expected result using labor tools in accordance with established technology. Depending on the specifics of the problem, for example, ARIS, IDEF0, and Gilbreth notation can be used to build a business process. The business process helps to find inconsistencies in the distribution of powers of employees, duplication or, conversely, sagging responsibility for individual operations.

Production Flow Diagram– a simplified description of the movement of semi-finished products around the production site and the operations performed on them. At the same time, all operations are divided into those that bring value to the client and losses. As a result, it is possible to analyze what the efficiency of the flow is, where the main losses are located and what measures can help get rid of them.

Bounded system theory assumes that in every work activity, represented as a flow, there is a bottleneck - a workplace with the lowest possible productivity. Moreover, the performance of the entire flow is determined by the performance of the bottleneck. Therefore, if the task is to increase production, then optimization must begin with the “opening up” of such a workplace. The theory of system constraints was once developed by E. Goldratt and has recently increasingly become part of the basic set of optimizer tools.

risk matrix– this is a reflection of possible risks on a coordinate plane with the axes “risk probability” and “risk criticality” (i.e. how severe the consequences of the risk will be). In the absence of reliable data, estimates of these values ​​can be made by experts. It is logical that first of all it is necessary to deal with the risks with the highest probability and criticality.

Compatibility Matrix allows you to analyze the qualifications of personnel. The stages of the production process (operations) are reflected horizontally, and employees are shown vertically. At the intersection one of the following signs is placed:

• “He knows, because participates in the operation"
• “He knows, although he does not participate in the operation”
• “He doesn’t know, but he can easily teach”
• “He doesn’t know, and it’s difficult to teach”

The compatibility matrix allows you to identify “overlapping” qualifications between jobs and evaluate the possibility and effectiveness of combining professions, combining jobs or specializing workers in specific operations.

Prioritizing problem solving

There is one aspect regarding the improvement process. The fact is that the resources of change agents are not unlimited, so it is important to prioritize solving problems and eliminating the causes that give rise to them. Those. optimizers must optimize their efforts themselves to get the maximum effect.

How to do it? To do this, you can use a tool such as a Pareto diagram (Fig. 4), which contains two axes: the effect of eliminating the cause and the ease of eliminating it. Each cause of a problem can be posed as a point on this coordinate plane.

Rice. 4. An example of assessing the priority of eliminating causes (indicated by numbers) using a Pareto chart

Thus, we get a certain “constellation” of reasons. Which ones should you tackle first? Obviously, for those that are in the upper right quadrant, because eliminating them will bring maximum effect with a minimum of effort.

Sometimes the question arises about how to compare the parameters of heterogeneous causes. To do this, you can use two approaches:

• Expert review
• Conversion to unified indicators (rub., person*hour)

Having eliminated some of the causes after implementing the solutions, you can once again analyze the problem using Pareto and begin to eliminate the remaining ones.

Personnel costs are key

Employees of the Open Innovations consulting laboratory, based on their experience of working with leading domestic enterprises (oil and gas, railway, chemical, energy, engineering, etc. industries), determined the typical structure of the main cost elements characteristic of an average domestic industrial enterprise, as well as the potential reducing these costs and the possibility of its implementation (Fig. 5). The highest priority in terms of effect and feasibility of implementation turned out to be costs related to personnel (both production and administrative).

Rice. 5. Typical cost distribution of a domestic industrial enterprise

It is important that staff reduction, in addition to reducing wage fund costs and contributions for social needs, also allows for a reduction in:

• expenses for the purchase, maintenance and repair of equipment;
• expenses for special clothing, labor protection, etc.;
• expenses for VHI and food (if available);
• expenses for maintenance of premises (electricity, heating, water supply, etc.);
• management and administrative expenses (office, transportation costs, etc.).

Another important effect of staff reduction is to increase the transparency of enterprise management. In addition, it is possible to get rid of “ballast” and retain only the best employees (if optimization is carried out correctly). In light of this, personnel costs become the key to solving the problem of increasing the profitability of domestic enterprises.

Some enterprises, due to improper planning of activities, do not achieve the desired result or suffer losses. Then it is necessary to review the existing system and find new methods so that the enterprise is not left behind in business. Some companies in this situation take a lean manufacturing approach. What is the essence of this concept? How effective is it for Russian entrepreneurship? Are there any examples of positive application of the technique? Find out more about all these questions in our article.

Defining the concept

The term "lean manufacturing" is of foreign origin. In the original it is pronounced as lean production or lean manufacturing and is literally translated as “lean production”. Poor means not deprived of resources, and not burdened with unnecessary actions and costs.

This is a management system created in 1950 at the Toyota automobile production. The founder was the Japanese Taiichi Ono. The concept was developed and supplemented by Shigeo Shingo, who introduced into production a system of changeover of both equipment and all stages of product manufacturing.

The specifics of lean manufacturing are based on the desire to rid the enterprise of all possible costs that are not directly related to the formation of the final cost of the product for the consumer. The client does not want to overpay for what is the company's costs due to negligence or due to an incorrect internal management scheme. The fewer manipulations are performed, the cheaper the product costs.

All employees of the enterprise, and not just individuals, should participate in improving the production process. This is what Taiichi Ono and his followers believed. Any method is suitable for reducing costs. For example, the absence of a production stage for storing products in a warehouse. Each part should be produced only in the required volume and preferably at the time when its assembly stage begins.

In the automotive industry, parts are delivered to the conveyor according to the planned schedule and should not be left behind or delivered later, so as not to slow down the process. Japanese tools for improving the production process at Toyota have brought success and have been adapted to different areas of enterprise activity.

The main task of the management of the enterprise is to analyze the production process. As well as increasing efficiency by restructuring the old scheme. The main attention is aimed at identifying the links that slow down the process and create the need to inflate prices.

Each product has a value that is acceptable to the customer. If the value of a product is overestimated, then demand for it may fall. This will lead to overcrowding of the warehouse and loss of expected profits. Due to overproduction of products, the enterprise will be forced to stop the process. The labor force will not be able to be used for its intended purpose, and there will be a need to reduce staff. Lean manufacturing is a management system that eliminates such problems.

How the system works

If the company’s managers have decided to use lean production, then at the first stage they need advice from specialists in this matter. This could be an independent consultant or company managers who have undergone retraining in applying the new concept.

The first task is a deep analysis of the current system and identification of weak links that do not add value to the product, but increase the final cost.

Development of a new scheme after analysis - elimination of unnecessary losses, rational use of labor and equipment. But simple research without reacting, that is, eliminating problems, will not yield results. Therefore, the principles of lean manufacturing must be fully implemented. These are a few points containing the main idea of ​​the update:

• The value of the product is customer-oriented, and not the desire to write off all costs. It is necessary to create conditions under which unexpected costs do not appear.
• Production should not be idle; it requires the organization of a constant flow without downtime. They usually arise due to disruptions in the supply of raw materials and components. At this stage, cooperation with partners is reviewed.
• It is advisable to use equipment without overvoltage, this can lead to unexpected breakdowns and downtime.
• Sale of goods immediately to the client without delays.
• Reduce unnecessary product movements.
• Eliminating the possibility of defects at an early stage so that the product is accepted by the customer immediately.
• Striving for excellence as much as possible.
• Using personnel only according to their profile, eliminating duplicate positions.
• Improving working conditions, equipping the workplace in accordance with requirements.

You can think through your methods so that the implementation of technologies that lean manufacturing provides is successful. These decisions are based on what types of losses exist in your business. The lean production concept identifies seven main types of losses:

1. Moving (transporting) products.
2. Warehousing, re-production.
3. Vanity and unnecessary movement of personnel during production, which slows down the delivery time of products and increases the number of working hours.
4. Production downtime is when components did not arrive on time or a delay in the production of a previous product stops the production process of the product.
5. Production of goods in larger quantities than intended, without the possibility of sale. The company incurs additional costs, which it tries to compensate by placing an extra markup on the product.
6. Outdated technology or technology that is not designed to produce products according to customer requirements.
7. A defective product that requires additional costs for rework.

By working on the listed types of losses, you can significantly reduce the markup on products and obtain high consumer demand. This will increase the efficiency of the production system.

Using lean manufacturing tools, you can find your own version of the management scheme. There are many of these tools, so before you start implementing a new scheme, it is advisable to study each method in detail and adapt it to your needs. The scheme for each area is individual.

Modern use of Japanese business techniques

Lean manufacturing has become in demand not only abroad, but also in Russia. Many enterprises, having found themselves in a situation of decline, reviewed various management systems and chose lean manufacturing.

Examples of the use of the Japanese concept can be seen in various areas of business, medicine, education, and government departments. Let's note some of them:

1. Car production: GAZ group of enterprises, Solers company, KamAZ.
2. Banking systems: Sberbank of Russia.
3. Construction. Modern houses are built according to the principle of lean production, which reduces not only losses during the construction of houses by a construction company, but also further exploitation by residents. New technologies can reduce heat loss and reduce utility costs.
4. The introduction of lean manufacturing is also observed in the provision of public services. For the convenience of the population, multifunctional centers are being created, operating on the principle of a single window. A citizen can contact one operator for any question and receive all the information or service. There is no need to run around to different departments. The introduction of recording terminals and electronic queues eliminates crowding and waste of time for visitors.

The number of enterprises that have tried lean production methods and received positive results increases every year. In Russia, a map has been created that shows companies implementing the lean production concept. Forums are held where managers share their experiences with each other and talk about their successes.

A production system can operate without losses if the planning of the scheme is thought out to the smallest detail and does not stand still, but is constantly improved.

Summarize

The management system “lean production”, having received its start in an automobile enterprise, has gained fans in various fields of entrepreneurship. The prospects for efficient production depend on the performance of managers. The concept will not work if optimization remains only on paper.

An audit will not solve the problems of an unprofitable enterprise. Only active entrepreneurs who are ready to constantly work to eliminate costs will be able to introduce new tools.

At first glance, frugality is saving, stinginess, stinginess. In fact, lean manufacturing does not work with cutting costs, which could lead to a decrease in product quality, but with reducing losses that exist in every workplace, be it a turner, a banker, a civil servant, or a director. This approach makes it possible to improve the quality of products and services, ensure an increase in labor productivity and the level of staff motivation, which ultimately affects the growth of the enterprise’s competitiveness.

Lean manufacturing is a system of production organization aimed at continuous improvement of the organization's activities and achieving its long-term competitiveness. World experience shows the following results of implementing lean production tools:

• Increase in labor productivity by 35-70%;
• Reduction of production cycle time by 25-90%;
• Reduction of defects by 58-99%;
• Increase in product quality by 40%;
• Increasing the operating time of equipment in good condition up to 98.87%;
• Release of production space by 25-50%.

Where are the losses hidden?

In every system, in every process - from manufacturing and assembly to hospitality, healthcare, transport and social services - there are hidden losses. Identifying and eliminating these wastes saves millions of dollars annually for those organizations that regularly evaluate their operations against lean manufacturing standards. These losses increase production costs without adding the customer value that the customer actually needs. They also increase the payback period of investments and lead to decreased employee motivation. These losses must be identified and then eliminated.

Henry Ford's ideas

It should be noted that the ideas of “lean manufacturing” were first formulated and implemented by Henry Ford. But these ideas were in the nature of isolated events and did not affect the very worldview of the workers. In-line, low-cost production was created, and the Ford-T car had no competitors in the world in terms of price, quality, and level of service. But Henry Ford's ideas did not become widespread, since the country's economy was developing dynamically, the market was closed to other countries, and there were opportunities for extensive development. Japan did not have such opportunities, and therefore immediately followed the path of rational use of resources, eliminating all types of losses, increasing the initiative and responsibility of workers, and constantly systematically improving quality and procedures. The center for the development and implementation of the principles and methods of “lean production” was the Toyota automobile company, which borrowed the best from the production systems of companies around the world. By 1980, Japan had not only restored its economy and created the most efficient production system in the world, but also began active expansion into other countries.

Russian reality

Returning to Russia, I would like to highlight 9 reasons why it is advisable to implement lean manufacturing in an organization:

1. High production costs.

2. Low quality products.

3. Outdated technologies.

4. Outdated equipment.

5. High energy intensity.

6. High production costs.

7. Violation of delivery deadlines.

8. Lack of qualified personnel

9. High competition in the market.

It is lean manufacturing tools that allow us to solve these and other problems.

When people talk about lean manufacturing, Lean management and the achievements of the Japanese company Toyota are often mentioned. There is another word - kaizen (continuous improvement).

All these unusual words for us indicate that the organization sets itself a global goal - to improve every day, to progress day by day. Moving forward depends on the managers themselves, because it is not enough to introduce tools, you need to change the management culture and the behavior of managers.

These are the issues that will be discussed at the conference on November 9, 2011 in the city of Izhevsk “Vision and implementation of Lean using the example of Toyota.” It is important that the conference will discuss practical issues of implementing lean production tools in a modern organization.

Lean is a type of thinking

In lean manufacturing, the attention of senior management and the first person at the enterprise is important. If the first person is concerned about the implementation of lean production, the result will be, if he is not interested, it is a waste of time. Lean is a type of thinking. The experience of implementing lean manufacturing in Russia and developed countries has one important feature. At Russian enterprises, great importance is given to lean production tools, in foreign organizations - to the formation of a lean production ideology and corporate management culture. Note that lean manufacturing tools do not work without ideology. The primary issues are thinking and implementing rationalization proposals. It is necessary to create a corporate culture that would facilitate the implementation of this system. Corporate culture, in turn, is always based on the behavior of the leader and his team. And actions follow from thoughts, which are important to know about. Therefore, the locomotive is the right thinking, and then the carriages are lined up - certain Lean tools.

Rule - 5 why

As for the way managers act, in a lean production system they will have to reorient themselves to finding the cause of problems, and not to punishing the employee. It is important to understand why the failure occurred, what caused the error? The manager’s opinion that everything should be done without a hitch is incorrect - in any business, no one is immune from mistakes, and lessons must be learned from them. Errors are an incentive to optimize the process, a way to ensure that it does not happen again, to eliminate it once and for all. Modern managers, in pursuit of errorlessness, set themselves simple tasks, this is wrong - tasks should be complex, and mistakes made in solving them are in the order of things.

The Lean tools themselves are simple, but applying them requires effort. Following the Toyota philosophy, Lean is a science that forces us to put forward a hypothesis, test it, and look for confirmation of it. In all areas: safety, quality, costs - the main factor for success will be the corporate culture and behavior of the leader. It is impossible to change his thinking quickly (Toyota has been doing this for over 60 years). But if you show employees a new approach and help them choose a tool, then they will see for themselves all the advantages of such work.

Lean manufacturing is based on the 5 C system - a system of establishing order, cleanliness, strengthening discipline, increasing productivity and creating safe working conditions, with the participation of all personnel. This system makes it possible, practically at no cost, not only to restore order at the enterprise (increase productivity, reduce losses, reduce the level of defects and injuries), but also to create the necessary starting conditions for the implementation of complex and expensive production and organizational innovations, ensuring their high efficiency due to radical changes consciousness of workers, their attitude towards their work.

5 C - Five interrelated principles of workplace organization that ensure visual control and lean production. The Japanese name for each of these principles begins with the letter "S":

• Seiri: to separate necessary items - tools, parts, materials, documents - from unnecessary ones in order to remove the latter.
• Seyton: neatly arrange what is left: place each item in its place.
• Seiso: Maintain cleanliness.
• Seiketsu: Maintain accuracy by performing the first three S's regularly.
• Shitsuke: maintain the discipline that ensures the completion of the first four S's.

Successes of OJSC KAMAZ

The joint stock company KAMAZ is the most active among Russian enterprises in implementing the lean production system. The successes are enormous. For every ruble of costs, more than a hundred rubles of profit are obtained, but these successes can only be achieved through the massive involvement of all personnel, both production and managerial, in the improvement processes. Before involving, it is necessary to train the staff, and it is possible to train all the staff only on the job. Almost every enterprise can find time for training during a crisis without disrupting the rhythm of production.

Index	For the period from 2006 to October 2011
100% of personnel trained in lean manufacturing principles and methods.
Specialists trained for the development of the KAMAZ Production System, persons.
Kaizen proposals submitted
Implemented kaizen proposals
Projects open
Implemented projects
Covered by the 5C workplace system
Operations standardized
Operations visualized
Space released, sq.m.
Equipment released, units
Created reference areas
Economic effect received, billion rubles.

More than twenty years ago, the English management authority Reg Revans said that if the speed of a company’s learning is less than the speed of external changes, the prosperity of such a company is impossible. Accelerated learning is very important for business survival, to gain flexibility and adaptability. Businesses require diverse workers, and they especially value people who are lifelong learners. Quick learning is necessary in order to simply survive.

Not a single enterprise, be it a joint venture or a Russian one, producing final products or being a supplier, no matter how much support it enjoys, can survive without effective process management and without constant work to reduce losses.

The learning process is reflected in the number of improvement proposals. To solve this problem, at Japanese enterprises, almost all personnel are trained in the principles and tools of lean manufacturing and take an active part in continuous process improvements. For example, at Honda, on average, each worker gives one proposal per week, at Toyota - 15 proposals per year. To achieve such activity at our enterprises, we still need to work a lot and, most importantly, learn.

The application of the principles and methods of lean production, the skillful use of its tools will ensure competitiveness in any area of ​​business, the skillful application of the principles and methods of lean production will significantly increase the competitiveness of an enterprise in any area of ​​business.