Waste Elimination

categories of waste

  • overproduction
  • transport : inefficient workplace planning, unnecessary movement
  • process waste: overly complex design or excessive documentation
  • unnecessary inventory
  • rejects
  • waste
  • waiting : process delays
  • unnecessary motion : wasted movement during production
cycle time
time to complete a process; stemming from Henry Ford

reducing cycle time

  • Juran
  • define process for cycle time reduction
  • list activities in selected process
  • create process map
  • list time taken for each activity
  • identify waste activities
  • eliminate waste and update process

Theory of Constraints

  • Eli Goldroth
  • systems are like chains
  • constraints : elements which limit them and prevent them from achieving goals
  • constraint is weakest link in chain
  • only one constraint at a time; other elements are non-constraints
  • focus on fixing constraint
  • focus on continual improvement

principles regarding core problems

  • challenge assumptions to solve core problems
  • undesirable effects reveal core problems
  • solving core problems eliminates undesirable effects
  • high level viewpoint that involves systems rather than processes

operation measures

throughput (T)
T = selling price - cost of production
rate at which system generates money
inventory (I)
money tied up in system, either investments or physical
operating expenses (OE)
money spent running system and turning inventory into throughput

other measures

  • net profit
  • ROI
  • production
  • turnover