Lean tools must be used properly - Opinion & Analysis: Manufacturing - Harbour and Associates' lean manufacturing curve - Brief Article

Automotive Industries, Feb, 2002 by Ron Harbour

Total productive maintenance. In-station process control. Error-proofing. Quick changeovers. Kanban. Andon. Just-in-time manufacturing.

Most people consider these to be some of the essential tools of lean manufacturing. And indeed, all of these are wonderful tools that can improve manufacturing operations -- but only when they are implemented and executed properly by a company that has established a cultural and organizational structure to support them.

All of these elements come into use in Phase III of Harbour and Associates' lean manufacturing curve. Phase III the stage in which company leaders begin to understand the vast resources they have available and how they can be effectively applied to best support the companies' objectives.

There are a dozen or more tools available for use in this phase. And knowing which ones to use and how to use them properly make up some of the biggest challenges that take place in Phase III. But the biggest obstacle along the lean journey is knowing when to begin this critical stage.

I cannot stress enough the importance of not jumping ahead to Phase III until an operation is ready. This is the biggest mistake companies make in their attempts to implement lean manufacturing initiatives.

Companies that want instant results often go straight to Phase III, bypassing the hard work required in Phases I and II through which organizations fully understand the significant impact of a lean transformation and how to develop and train an entire workforce in order to get full participation.

These companies may initially see some improvements and hit some targets. But in almost every case we've studied, ultimately the improvements stop and results, in fact, go backward. The tools that are expected to bring about continuous improvement are undermined because workers have not been trained, developed or empowered to solve problems -- they don't understand their roles in the support of these new operational changes.

Successful companies that build a strong foundation in Phase I and Phase II will reach Phase III ready to apply the tools that will support their objectives. They will understand which tools are appropriate for their operation and know how to apply them to improve their processes. This is where the payback of a successful lean transformation begins to be realized.

Not long ago, several members of our Harbour team visited an automotive manufacturing operation that had struggled for several years with lean implementation. Finally, after another unsuccessful attempt at lean, the plant's leadership became aware that the lack of progress was rooted in a failure to develop the organization's ability to operate in a radically different culture where the old rules no longer applied.

The plant had to return to Phases I and II to develop the understanding of and training in lean that was needed throughout the organization. And even after what was considered successful implementation of the first two phases, the plant manager tested his team four times before he felt they were ready to take the next critical step in the implementation phase.

Going backward was not easy, and it took time. But today, this plant is beginning to experience accelerated progress in its operations that only results when a solid lean manufacturing structure is in place and workers can see the results of their efforts.

During Phase III, everyone takes more responsibility for all aspects of their work and leads the changes that will dramatically improve their operations. All workers are empowered to identify and act on abnormal conditions within their work areas, and they use structured problem-solving processes to achieve in-station process control. This is the engine that will drive Continuous improvement, or Phase IV of the lean implementation curve.

This is Part Four of a five-part series.

RON HARBOUR is president of Harbour and Associates, manufacturing consultants in Troy, Mich. www.harbourinc.com