PDCA Cycle Tips
Useful Tips to Help Implement PDCA One of the most effective ways to implement changes in a facility is by using the PDCA cycle. PDCA, which stands for Plan Do Check Act is a system that has been used for years by many different types of industries. It is simple enough to use that it…
Tony Ferraro | November 17, 2015 | Lean | PDCA | 5 min read
How to Establish the Lean Supply Chain
Understanding the Basics of Lean Supply Chain Many companies and individual facilities have implemented LEAN techniques into their daily processes, and have gotten great results. When looking for ways to take that success to the next level, consider establishing a lean supply chain to further eliminate waste and improve efficiency within virtually any company. A Lean…
Tony Ferraro | October 22, 2015 | Lean | Lean, Supply Chain | 5 min read
Understanding Key Lean Manufacturing Concepts
Lean Manufacturing Concepts to Implement Implementing the lean methodologies in your facility is an important decision. Whether you’re getting to ready a lean initiative or you are just weighing the benefits of the strategies it is a good idea to make sure you understand all of the lean manufacturing concepts. The fact that lean has…
Tony Ferraro | August 28, 2015 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing | 5 min read
Seven Simple & Effective Manufacturing Safety Tips
Manufacturing facilities are an essential part of the global economy, but they are also one of the more dangerous places of employment. While there have been significant manufacturing safety improvements over the past several decades, many facilities still have a long way to go. Unfortunately, many facilities believe that it would be too costly or…
Tony Ferraro | July 10, 2015 | Lean, Safety Solutions | Lean | 6 min read
Lean vs Automation
Lean and Automation Working Together As production has advanced over the years, the techniques and technology we have at our fingertips to improve the speed and efficiency of the things we do have increased tenfold. On the one hand, a new and deeper understanding of lead times and how various elements of production affect each…
Tony Ferraro | January 2, 2015 | Lean | Lean | 5 min read
Lead Time Reduction In Five Easy Steps
Reviewing Lead Time Reduction Excessive lead times are a huge problem for just about anyone running a production line. Misjudging lead times can be devastating to both your ability to keep up with customer demand and the faith those customers put in your ability to deliver on time. Reducing your lead times allows you to…
Tony Ferraro | December 30, 2014 | Lean | Lead Time | 4 min read
Lean is Green
Lean manufacturing principles have solidified themselves as a successful method of improvement in organizations across the globe. Increasing productivity through waste elimination methods continues to be the golden ticket for many industries, but a separate by-product of Lean is in need of some attention –Green. Organizations everywhere are starting to notice their Lean principles produce…
CSS Editorial Staff | December 24, 2014 | Lean | 3P, 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean | 3 min read
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Explained
Understanding Total Productive Maintenance Total Productive Maintenance, or the acronym TPM, gets tossed around in Lean and general business circles often enough, but an understanding of the idea escapes most people. In general, TPM has a few different goals. In a quick and dirty sense, these are… To eliminate breakdowns To eliminate small stops or…
Tony Ferraro | December 19, 2014 | Lean, Safety Solutions | TPM | 4 min read
Lean Efforts – To What Extent Should We Quantify?
Should We Quantify All KAIZEN/Lean Efforts from the Shop Floor? Ben Huang, a professional in the midst of implementing Lean techniques into his workplace, has a dilemma. As he related on a LinkedIn group this past week, Lean is apparently going well in his business, but he’s unsure of the extent to which he should…
Tony Ferraro | December 1, 2014 | Lean | Lean | 4 min read
Obeya – Introducing the Lean War Room
You Must Obeya Welcome to today’s dose of Lean, on the agenda is Obeya. If you haven’t heard of Obeya, you might still have used it, or you may know about the concept but never have put it into action. In any event, it’s best to know and to act, and that’s exactly what we’re going to…
Tony Ferraro | November 7, 2014 | Lean | Lean | 4 min read
Lean Six Sigma – Quick Wins and Momentum
How do you define a “Quick Win” in Lean Six Sigma? Lean Six Sigma improvement efforts are often long, complex, and require a lot of investment from multiple parties and groups within a system. All of these aspects make such efforts especially susceptible to a loss of support and, as a result, sometimes complete failure…
Tony Ferraro | November 6, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma | 5 min read
Improve Productivity – An exploration from Macro to Micro
Ready to Improve Productivity? The word “productivity” is pervasive in the business world to a fault. Sometimes, we even manage ourselves into tricky situations or troublesome employee relations for the sake of productivity, largely because we were wearing metaphorical blinders in our pursuit of it, letting other important considerations fall by the wayside. Another common…
Tony Ferraro | October 31, 2014 | Lean | Improve Productivity | 5 min read
Six Sigma Tools Most Implemented Incorrectly
Most abused Six Sigma Tools Every week, various LinkedIn discussions pop up in professional groups meant to bring debate, and (hopefully) then clarity, to their audiences and members. In particular, I spend a lot of time in the Lean Six Sigma group, and a particular topic caught my attention this week. Lee Duncan, a Six…
Tony Ferraro | October 24, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma | 5 min read
Lean Six Sigma And Change Management
Lean Six Sigma Working Together Lean and Six Sigma, often used together, are two tried and true methodologies for identifying problems in a process and, to an extent, working to correct those problems as well. Indeed, Lean is touted under the banner of “continual improvement” more often than not. Of course, continual improvement means making…
Tony Ferraro | September 25, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma | 4 min read
Quality, Value, & Grade – An Exploration
Is Higher Quality Always Better? You don’t have to be in the business world to feel that, intuitively, that better quality, is, well better. Phrases like “quality over quantity” and “you get what you pay for” drive this point home for just about everyone from a young age, but have we ever stopped to think…
Tony Ferraro | September 19, 2014 | Lean | Quality | 4 min read