Measure

Measure

The measurement stage kicked off at the same time as the define stage, as data had to be collected over a number of weeks. Getting one week of data is not enough for a baseline, as it may be a good week or a bad week. Getting the average performance over a few weeks gives a more reliable indicator of performance.

Getting the data down on paper is a very valuable exercise, as it allows the analysis stage to be carried out.
It allows us to gather information on what is good and bad about the process, the machinery availability, first time yield and defect rate, where the bottlenecks are, where improvements can be made, where the process needs to be changed, etc.

Current state

Fig 4

Figure 4 shows the current state of the process, how long each manual and automatic part takes. It is the average manual times that are shown here. The data was  gathered using time and motion studies. The important aspect here is that operators keep to their normal routine while being timed, otherwise the study is distorted.

At all stages, there is wide variation between operators, so reducing this variation will be key, and will be looked at during the Analyse phase. This improvement will, hopefully, lead to cycle time reduction, and thus greater output per hour, reaching weekly production targets.

Stages 7 and 3 are the bottleneck in the process, with 6 also being an issue, as it can stop production on 7 if delayed. This is due to the fact it is not processed in the cell, so its output depends on other people. Getting a more predictable output here is key, as it allow downstream process to work better, and smaller batches to be processed.

Stages 1 and 2 are automatic processes, with regular inspection required at stage 1 to monitor and compare output against specification.

Stage 3 controls the throughput of stages 4 and 5, as it is slower than them. Hence the requirement to keep it working as much as possible.

Stage 6 takes place away from the line.

Stage 7 is the key to output, and needs to be the most productive stage. However, this is not the case, and will be a major focus of the Kaizen.

Stages 8 and 9 are quick and simple steps. However, they are processed in large batches. This needs to change to improve the flow of product through the line.

 

 

 

 

Shift patterns

Fig 5

Figure 5 shows the number of people normally available during various period of each day. This uneven distribution is another reason the line is unbalanced, as work is allowed to build up during the day at various stages so as to keep the evening and night shift busy. This is another area to be adressed later on in the project.

Defects

Fig 6

Figure 6 is a pareto analysis of the defects, and the stage at which they occur.  Stage 1 catches the raw material defects, while stage 8 catches most of the in-process defects. These will be the focus during the analyse and improve stage.

WIP

Currently there are, on average, approximately 12000 pieces of WIP in the line. This ties in with figure 5 above, as quantities are built up ahead of the later shifts; and the current state above, as WIP covers over a few problems.

Line Metrics Board

The layout of the line metrics board needs adjusting. Currently, updates are posted about the progress of each job through the stage, with WIP and finished goods recorded. This is slow to update every day, hard for other people to analyse, limited in giving relevant line information. As a result, a new board layout will be trialled during the analyse stage.

Many issues came to light during the data gathering stage, from environmental issues like noise and poor lighting, H & S issues like adjusting machines during calibration, high defect levels leading to quality issues, shift pattern issues, supply chain management, etc

Gathering all the stakeholders into a room and communicating these issues had a very beneficial outcome. People got a holistic view of the process, realised how problems can affect many areas, and proposed various solutions.

Resistance to change is a feature of this improvement  process. This is very natural, as people are creatures of habit, thus change is viewed with suspicion. Understanding the causes of the resistance is vital to ensure the success of this project. 

To overcome this, communication at all levels is vital, visible management and leadership is required, feedback is continuously sought, a workable schedule will be implemented, and upskilling and training will also be required.