When it comes to manufacturing, constant improvement is crucial. Manufacturing companies are always looking for ways to improve the manufacturing process. One of the most common methods used to improve process is Lean Six Sigma. The main idea behind reduction of waste is to get rid of all unproductive activities in the process and focus on the productive activities.
For many manufacturing companies, reducing waste and increasing efficiency sounds like a tempting offer that requires commitment, and the readiness to try out new ideas to find out what works and what doesn’t. When an organization implements measures to reduce errors and listen to employees, production is sure to improve. Lean Six Sigma methods incorporate these among other steps to improve the manufacturing process. We shall look at how manufacturing companies are using lean six sigma methods to improve the production process:
Simplification of Manufacturing Tasks
One of the goals of waste reduction and increased efficiency is simplification of tasks. Through simplification of tasks, the time and resources spent in the manufacturing process get much reduced, and tasks are performed faster than before. For companies dealing in products that need the same configuration, cellular manufacturing simplifies the manufacturing process by perfectly tailoring the process to its end use. The cells get tailored according to individual company specification and functionality hence the process becomes one process rather than a series of processes.
Increased Organization
In addition to reducing manufacturing processes, the structure of the production floor is a crucial factor. Good organization not only increases efficiency, but also improves workflow. From clean spaces and dust proof desks, manufacturing companies require a great organization to ensure sanitation. The lean six sigma organizational method provides cleanliness and makes it easy to maintain the cleaning of supplies.
Taking Step to Reduce Errors
In manufacturing, the likelihood of a mistake can be inevitable no matter how much organization or automation the production process incorporates. Companies are using Lean Six Sigma to try to reduce errors and positively affect the manufacturing process. The vendor managed inventory mechanism combined with cellular manufacturing drastically reduces the errors of manufacturing and manufacturing companies have not overlooked that. Typically, when a product goes through production, it needs to go through personal handling to count, shift or arrange inventory at the point of storage, hence increasing the likelihood of an error occurring in the process. Although there are speculations that vendor managed inventory could increase the chances of errors, the truth is, the mechanism reduces errors by reducing the need for another handling of the product. On top of reducing errors in inventory, Lean Six Sigma mechanisms create a standard procedure for manufacturing whenever there is a need, so overall production errors get significantly reduced.
In a nutshell, Lean Six Sigma methods improve production by simplifying the manufacturing process. A simplified environment for employees provides a proper avenue to learn manufacturing procedures easily, hence increasing workforce flexibility and overall efficiency.
