Improve

Improve

The first part of the Kaizen is its organisation. A daily schedule was produced and circulated to the team the week before, so arrangements could be made to reorganise meetings etc.

The first day of the event stated with session on why the improvement was required, how customers requirements have changed, how we need to meet those new requirements. This then moved onto presenting a current state map of the process, discussing what were the problems involved. After lunch, the Lean Six Sigma process was explained, examples shown of how it improves various processes, and how it was applicable to improve the process under review.

Day 2 consisted of brainstorming to get multiple solutions to the problems outline previously.

Once solutions were agreed upon, we moved onto the floor to change the layout, and begin the training to up-skill operators to work the new SOP.

Day 3 continue the changing of the layout and up-skilling.

Day 4 was about putting the new skills to the test in the new layout. Any new problems that emerged due to the changes were solved.

Day 5 was about doing a practice production run, to see could the new production targets be met, and to see if any other changes needed to be made.

New current state

The revised layout, and reduced cycle time, means that operator 1 can now do operations 1-5, while operator 2 does 7-9.

This means that one operator has been freed up to work in other areas of the company.

Figure 11 below shows the improved operator times for the manual processes.

 Fig. 11

Figures 12 & 13 below show the new OEE scores for the process. All stages show an improvement.

Fig 12

Fig 13

The shift pattern also changed, with a 3*8*5 system now in place, with equal numbers on each shift.. This means that output should be equal among shifts.

The new line metrics board, as shown below, is also a success. It has reduced counting time, is easier to update and understand. This has meant that production time per shift has increased. In addition, OEE scores are now displayed, along with a Box Score chart, as shown below.

Fig. 14

Fig. 15

Available working time has increased to 22 hours per day. This was achieved by changing the line metrics board, the shift changeover routine and by staggering break times to make sure bottleneck machine are working as much as possible.

Machine reliability has improved, with inspections now taking place daily, and issues fixed at that time.

Bottleneck throughput has been increased by 10%, not the 15% hoped for.

Yield has improved overall, from 92% to 96%, as compared in figures 9 and 13.

Cycle time has been reduced by approximately 5 seconds.

The average defect rate have been reduced, as can be seen in the OEE scores above. Without further automation, this rate will continue to vary, due to the high manual handling content.

Variation between operators has been reduced, as can be seen in the new process times above.

WIP has approximately halved, due to smaller batches being processed, and the even distribution of work per shift.