Lean Techniques
SMED
In today's manufacturing environment customers are demanding lower order quantities and rapid delivery time. The puts a real constraint on the business and creates idle time that is wasted.
To minimize waste, businesses need to move quickly from one product, one order, or one service to the next. This is accomplished through a rapid changeover capability that was developed by the Japanese as part of the lean tool set.
We have a packaged product for quick change that we offer to our customers. We find this is a good program that achieves results. However, sometimes our customers want less support with a focus on coaching. So we can modify this program to meet your needs. Our support can consist of the following:
- Team facilitation
- Analysis of the current state
- Determine where improvements are to be made
- Assistance in the implementation
- Sustaining the gains
During this project which generally takes about 4 months, we implement the three key elements of quick changeover
- Separating internal & external setup
- Converting internal setup to external setup
- Streamlining all aspects of the setup operation
A.C.I. has a proven track record of successful Quick Change program implementation in a variety of manufacturing environments. Let us help to improve your customer responsiveness, reduce downtime and increase capacity by implementing a customized Quick Change program in your company.
Poka Yoke
The goal of mistake-proofing or poka yoke is to eliminate mistakes. In order to eliminate mistakes, we need to modify processes so that it is impossible to make them in the first place. With mistake-proofing solutions, many repetitive tasks that depend upon the memory of the worker are built into the process itself. Mistake-proofing frees the time and minds of the workforce to pursue more creative and value-adding activities. Mistake-proofing also involves a change in the mindset of the organization. Organizations must establish a mistake-proofing mindset that promotes the belief that it is unacceptable to allow for even a small number of product or service defects.
