When it comes to Lean Manufacturing, there are a number of strategies factories and producers can adopt to improve operational efficiency and overall performance. But it helps to gather an understanding of the basic principles by Lean management.
Daniel Markovitz, a consultant and time management expert, argues that there are three basic concepts to Lean Manufacturing: 5S, standardization and flow.
5S
The first principle, 5S, stands for “sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain.” In a general sense, 5S is a workplace organization strategy. Companies that leverage 5S make sure that all unnecessary tools and devices are removed from the workspace (sort). They then make sure that all work items are in the appropriate location (set in order), all surfaces and workspaces are cleaned (shine), organizational methods are applied consistently and uniformly (standardized) and 5S as a whole is continually improved (sustain).
“Making sure knowledge workers have quick, easy access to the information they need to do their jobs, such as the status of their work, is more important than having a specific place on their desks for, say, a stapler,” Network World quotes Markovitz as saying.
Standardization
Standardization is a staple of manufacturing and production, but for whatever reason, the practice of standardizing processes are less common in knowledge work, where meetings, budget analysis and supply management are often subject to spontaneity and individual initiative. But many of these processes could benefit from standardized work.
“The notion of having standardized work is incredibly powerful because you can ensure you're not forgetting stuff,” Markovitz told the source. “You take the thinking away from the minutiae and allow yourself to focus on creative things.”
Flow
Interruptions are frustratingly common in the workplace. While production lines work diligently to prevent such incidents from occurring, corporate offices seem to accept disruptions as inevitable. Accordingly, corporate managers and executives should adopt systems and service-level agreements that allow employees to hunker down and focus without the threat of interruption.
“This creates blocks of time where people have the opportunity to work on their bigger projects that require flow,” Markovitz points out.
The interesting thing is that the three core principles of Lean manufacturing – 5S, standardization and flow – have worked so well in factories and production lines, but few executives have thought to apply similar practices to the corporate workplace.