Lean Tools

There are a number of tools available to support Lean implementations, these tools generally work together to create value in the system and eliminate “waste”. By applying the right Lean tools and techniques at the right time, organisations can become more competitive, agile, and responsive to customer demands.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a prime example of this integration of tools. OEE analysis can be applied to identify the point where waste occurs and then provides a bench-mark for measuring continuous improvement across all aspects of the production system. Increasing the OEE score will require focussed effort and draw upon other lean tools and techniques, such as SMED (setup reduction) and TPM (total productive maintenance).

Once a company embarks on a lean journey, with buy in from senior management as well as from the shop floor, a number of tools may be deployed to support both the drive for efficiency, and support cultural change. The lean tool-box generally includes:

management and measurement tools:

• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

tools to support lean practice on the shop floor:

• Kaizen
• Gemba
• 5S
• Six Sigma
• SMED

tools for lean maintenance:

• Total productive maintenance (TPM)
• Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM)
• Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
• Preventive and predictive maintenance

Lean is based on common sense techniques, and consequently Lean implementations may be facilitated by pencil and paper, or entries in a spreadsheet. However, while workable, these are neither scalable nor sustainable. A company’s ability to successfully adopt, and extend ‘lean’ holistically across the organisation, is likely to rely on the right technology and professional services.