How to INCREASE productivity?

Raise productivity with an existing team

We communicate daily with companies that want to improve productivity with existing staff because they simply don’t get the extra workforce to work in manufacturing and logistics. Companies that are just beginning to be aware of the need to optimize processes face an even greater challenge of how to fill the missing capacity at a good, if not excellent, sales pace.

The vast majority of successful companies are already tackling staff bottlenecks with robotics, automation and the liking of the work environment, which can at least to some extent alleviate labor shortages.

The solutions demonstrated by digitalisation are improving the transparency, responsiveness and efficiency of machinery in companies, but we still see great needs for better organization and work with less unnecessary losses . However, all improvements need to be tackled hand in hand between optimization – lean and digitization.

According to international research, we in Slovenia are still below average in production, so productivity per employee is still low. Companies in Slovenia are strengthening their international presence, so the trend of pressure on efficiency – productivity will remain for some time.
At Lean Solutions, we have prepared a set of solutions that, when used correctly, will certainly help increase productivity per employee and thus relieve the need for additional staff.
We present to you:

KAIZEN

In the company Lean Solutions, through individual KAIZEN workshops, we achieve enviable results in a very short time and enable customers to more easily cope with the lack of staff, despite increased orders. To increase productivity, we suggest the KAIZEN workshop:

ADVANTAGES OF THE KAIZEN method:

• Higher employee efficiency
• Shorter delivery times
• Higher productivity
• Less excrement
• Less damage
• Improving work safety and ergonomics
• Improved work organization‌‌

One operator on several machines

For many years, LEAN Solutions has been helping to optimally set the work intensity of employees and hardware. We use the approach of sharing machine and human production time, where through workshops, changes in the floor plan and the way we work, we enable the employee to be able to use several machines at the same time, without major challenges.

ADVANTAGES:

• Higher productivity per employee
• Better utilization of machinery
• Higher productivity
• Less futile time
• Shorter flow time
• Shorter logistics routes
• Prerequisite for the introduction of robotics or automation

‌‌ Logistics

If you have problems or doubts in the company about how to supply production or how to increase the efficiency of the warehouse and how to reduce costs, then this site is for you.

At Lean Solutions, through workshops on lean logistics , we make it easier for customers to deal with staff shortages, despite increased orders. With the help of lean logistics, we organize the supply of materials to the workplace so that employees do not leave their jobs. To increase productivity, we suggest “Lean Logistics”.

ADVANTAGES Lean logistics:

• Higher employee efficiency
• Shorter delivery times
• Higher productivity
• Synchronization of material and information flow
• Uninterrupted supply of production
• Improving work safety and ergonomics
• Minimize processes without added value‌‌

Working Day Image (SDD)

What is the SDD method?

Working day image is a method that:

• based on a full-day observation of the work process at the workplace, in which we get an accurate insight into what is happening,
• by recording all activities in the observed time period, we get the share of additional time, schedule and workflow and
• by recording all activities, we determine the type and duration of working time.

The SDD method:

• determine the current capacity or occupancy of the job in the current state,
• all foreseeable and unforeseen events at the workplace shall be recorded,
• identify typical interruptions, the time of their recurrence, the duration and causes of these interruptions,
• break down, study the organization of the work of the individual, the team, the reasonableness of the work, occupancy, and the workload of the individual, the team and
• break down the procedures of the worker and those responsible in the event of disruption.

SDD method result:

• is a table of the duration of each operation, the number of repetitions of this operation, the average duration of the operation per repetition, the minimum and maximum value of the duration in the day,
• are suggestions for improving work processes and
• suggestions for optimizing the workplace (less effort, more efficiency, fewer operators …)

Proposals can also be considered using the KAIZEN method

SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die)

The SMED method, or the quick change method, helps us reduce the time it takes to change a tool or product in the work process. Due to the growing number of product versions and the size of the batches we produce, the SMED method can achieve very large savings in the availability of our working resources. To increase productivity, we suggest: SMED .

ADVANTAGES of the SMED method:

• Allows for more frequent replacement
• Allows you to create smaller batches
• Reduces inventory
• Gaining space (less stock)
• Reduces production costs
• Better responsiveness to customer requests
• Increase productivity
• Improved production flow
• Less excrement
• Increased competitive advantage‌‌

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)

TPM method – Total Productive Maintenance or comprehensive productive maintenance is a method – project – mentality, which very intensively interferes with the habits and methods of work of both maintenance and production. A well-maintained fleet is the basis for high efficiency – productivity. The approach itself, the introduction of the method, depends on the correct strategy and setting up the organization TPM, which will take care of the gradual introduction of the method in the context of lean production. It is also crucial to choose the right TPM coordinator, who leads the internal project and takes care of the smooth work of all TPM teams. The responsibilities of the TPM coordinator depend on the size of the company and the intensity of the implementation itself. To increase productivity, we propose the TPM method.

ADVANTAGES of the TPM method

• Longer machine life
• Maximum utilization of the machine
• Greater efficiency of machines
• Faster tool change when changing products
• Less breakdowns, congestion, accidents and accidents – better reliability
• Less unplanned maintenance
• Senior OEE
• Lower production costs
• Higher morale (employees are “owners” of machines and are responsible for equipment maintenance, they are proud of their achievements)
• Better product quality (greater customer satisfaction)
• Eliminate small problems before moving on to larger ones
• Smaller stock of spare parts
• Lower operating costs
• Greater knowledge transfer between employees
• A cleaner, more orderly safe and ergonomic work environment – a safer work environment
• Improved company image
• Development of employee competencies

SFM (Shopfloor Management)

The system of regular meetings (Morning meetings in production) or SFM is an excellent system that we recommend to all companies for good information transfer. Many factories have set up corners for SFM meetings where workers and their managers can meet.

ADVANTAGES of the SFM method

• Raise operational efficiency through standard operations
• Improved information flow
• Reduction of errors in the manufacturing process
• Disclosure of gaps in production or processes
• Raising employee productivity
• Positive effect on RVC

YAMAZUMI

Yamazumi is another, in a long line of different, approaches and in translation it means to fold, to make a pile. It is a procedure that is a continuation of the observation of the work process, which we learned earlier with the SDD method (picture of the working day) . Once we have the times of each cycle, we group them and display them as a bar chart. Each column is divided into employee activities that bring added value to the process, or are necessary for the process, and those that are unnecessary. You can read more about losses in our article Lean production .

If possible, compare diagrams between comparable jobs. For example, those processes that stand out in time can be treated with the KAIZEN method, which we have already discussed in this article, or any other appropriate problem-solving method, and you try to achieve that the processes are equivalent in time.

The YAMAZUMI chart usually has a horizontal line indicating the time of the beat. Any process that crosses this line is automatically a serious candidate for optimization.
It is a simple but effective tool that shows you exactly where your problems are.

BENEFITS OF YAMAZUMI

• Visualization and immediate identification of process bottlenecks (or under-utilization)
• Elimination of operations that do not create added value to the product
• Better use of time
• Reduction of production costs
• Better balance of production lines
• Easier tact change
• Timely delivery of products

Wondering how you can achieve this? Contact us.

Other proposals will be published later.