All 13 entries tagged Piuss

Cell Manufacturing

I found the concept of working in small batches very interesting. I f one makes different types of products too, it important to alternate between the two products than just making product A in the morning and product B in the evening. This is called product levelling. It also involves producing goods at a fixed speed. There is standardization then. Its not the one day you produce more and the other day you produce less. By working in small batches one can detect defects more easily and reduce the lead time and changeover time. The WIP inventory is reduced.

: 15 Mar 2009 20:39 |  Tags: Mbe Piuss |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Lean and Six Sigma

I just turned in the pma a couple of hours back. It sure has been very interesting. It was interesting to see how lean and six sigma can be used together. Both have similar goals of minimizing defects, and are quite similar in many other ways.  One of the only difference I found was the lean also emphasises on compressing the process to reduce the lead time, which probably six sigma doesnt really work on. Both also use stastistical tools to solve problems and have a cylewhich helps them solve problem. What I found interesting was the use of hoshin kanri in lean. PDCA cycle is a huge part of lean culture which is a part of hoshin kanri too. Honshin kanri can be used in a lean company. The Catch ball method is a good way of brainstorming. Six sigma too talks a lot about brainstroming and having cross functional teams which would help improve the quality of brainstorming. It is very important to have a facilitator in a six sigma team who is a black belt, who will encourage comunication between members and try and create an environment of trust. There are so many other ways how these are similar. Its interesting to see so many companies such as Xerox, Ford adopting lean six sigma.

: 15 Mar 2009 20:00 |  Tags: Mbe Piuss |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Craft Production and Six Sigma and Lean

Apart from mass production and lean production discussed in Louis's blog I came across this production method. Its is a higly flexible production method. It is basically a few skilled people working on a product and custom make it for the customer (For example make the car more decorative). It can be quite expensive and the out put less compared to lean and mass production. My professor in my previous school told me that mass production started in US. It was practised by General Motors. Lean started in Japan and is practised by Toyota. Craft Production originates from Europe. I really like the idea of Craft prodction. In India I do see some traces of Craft Prodution. Its practised by this person D. Chabaria. He customizes a car for the customer. He is highly successful in following craft production. I think  six sigma can be applied to craft production also. Some processes in craft production too might be standarised. In those processes six sigma can be applied. Six six sigma can be applied to mass production too. The DMAIC circle can be applied too. But I think its most effective with Lean.

: 09 Mar 2009 14:43 |  Tags: Mbe Piuss |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Customer focus

My research does tell me that six sigma is focued on customer as without making customer happy there is no business. One of the books I read about six sigma mentioned that. Also lean seems to be customer oriented as it focuses on the process getiing faster and reducing the lead time. So both these methods lean and six sigma seem to be focusing on customer. This is one more thing in comon. One thing that is regiestered in my mind is what Paul said in class once : "STAKEHOLDER IS KING, BUT CUSTOMER IS GOD". I think the point reinforces that without customer there is no business, so the focus on customer is very essential!!!

: 07 Mar 2009 21:52 |  Tags: Mbe Piuss |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Lean and Six Sigma

Today while researching I realised that the main difference between lean and six sigma is that one focuses on the process route while the other focusses on a specific part of the business or process to reduce variation. The main aim for both is to reduce variation. If both are combined it can be a very useful tool to fight variation in the process.

Lean works on redesigning the process while six sigma works on a part of the business. Different methods used i lean are cell manufaturing, just in time.......while in six sigma one uses the dmaic cycle and so on.

: 03 Mar 2009 15:25 |  Tags: Mbe Piuss |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Six Sigma and Organisational Learning

Now a days competition is getting toughter. There is too much pressure on every organisation. One must continoursly improve and help keep customers satisfied may be through cost cutting or improving quality or both.

One person  (Peter Senge) rightly wrote "Learning Disability are tragic in children but fatal in organization".

What helps a organisation to overcome disability is organisational learning. It helps with understanding threats and finding out more opportunities.

The threats faced can be worked on by implementing six sigma as six sigma helps an organisation learn as excel, may be through the dmaic process. May be by completing the cycle you can analyse the problem and come up with solutions.

I think Presto Pizza is a learning organisation. It also implemented six sigma to help solve the problems and be a learning organisation.

: 03 Mar 2009 13:31 |  Tags: Piuss |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

DMAIC and Automation

Autonomation is basically that if there is any problem in the machine that is causing defects, the the entire production line comes to a hault till the problem is fixed. It is used in Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing.  It may be described as "intelligent automation" or "automation with a human touch." There is supervision required in this process. At Toyota this usually means that if an abnormal situation arises the machine stops and the worker will stop the production line. Autonomation prevents the production of defective products, eliminates overproduction and focuses attention on understanding the problem and ensuring that it never recurs. It is a quality control process that applies the following four principles:

1. Detect the abnormality.
2. Stop.
3. Fix or correct the immediate condition.
4. Investigate the root cause and install a countermeasure.

This is very similar to the DMAIC process according to me. This process involes define, measure, analyise, improve and control.

DMAIC can be applied to Autonomation process when there is a problem!!! this is how lean can be mixed with six sigma can be applied together

: 28 Feb 2009 18:30 |  Tags: Piuss |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Just in time system and Six Sigma

In six sigma we know that customer focus is really important. In lean manufacturing I came across a process which can really eliminate high storing cost. The process is called just in time (JIT). There has to be "quick communication" in this process. This is required as old stock gets over one can quickly call for new one, eliminating the need of storing or buy a warehouse. Dell is one of the companies that have highly benefited from this system and achieved a competitive edge. This technique is also used by Toyota. It was first started at Ford.

This system is not mentioned in six sigma but can be intergrated in the system in the "Improve" stage of DMAIC process to reduce cost. This could be an option.

This system may not work in all industries but for the one where it works, it can bring great sot benefit.

Though six sigma and lean manufacturing have some different policies, many people are bringing them together with lean six sigma. This shows that both can be combined.

: 28 Feb 2009 17:27 |  Tags: Piuss |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Mistake Proofing—PokaYoka

One of the things I remember being mentioned in our PIUSS module breifly was the work Poka Yoka. Which means to remove any mistake in the process which exist. One can do so in may ways such as training the labours or standardisation, or negative consequence for the labour for doing something wrong, or making the process so good that even if the labourer is day dreaming it would not affect his or her work.

Its a very interesting concept. I like it as much as my new developed affinity towards spc. Right now I am having a special cause variation in my working itself. As u might have read in my earlier blog, I am not feeling well which has been affecting my productivity. I am on medication so hopefully should feel better soon!!

I think the plane building competition in which both teams competing were in control has so far been the best experience I had in wmg. Actually doing the excercise yourself gives you great understanding of the process and the formulas we used to calculate the mean and standard deviation and so on. I also loved the case study which Professor Knowles had worked on in the candy factory which faced problems of the air bubbles.

: 19 Feb 2009 02:42 |  Tags: Piuss |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Six Sigma—and also thank team members

Its is impotant to see that Six sigma is so difficult to achieve. 3.4 million defects per million?? Is it realistic? Well if Motorola cana chieve it then so can any one. One thing that came out of the plane excercise is that practice makes a man/ woman perfect and using all the tools seen in the presto pizza case can help us achieve six sigma. But it does look like a process which would take a long time to achieve.

PEUSS project has been very interesting. Dfma, dfr, dfm, dflc has many interesting tools I got to learn this week. Well I have been sick this week but do somehow manage to go to class most times. I did miss Pauls lecture which Louis seems to be quite fond of this week. I am hoping I get well before my presentation this friday and also have facs to work on.

My group members have been very supportive of me when I am sick and would love to thank them for being understaning.

Other thing on my mind is the facs pma. I think I learnt my lesson this time for doing last minute work. I am sick so I wonder how will I manage facs. Lets see!! Time will tell.........

: 19 Feb 2009 02:19 |  Tags: Peuss Piuss |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem