Job Description for Lean Manufacturing
Experts in lean manufacturing are usually industrial engineers with training in lean manufacturing. However, lean manufacturing experts include Masters in Business Administration consultants with lean manufacturing training and organizational efficiency experts who specialize in lean manufacturing.
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What is Lean Manufacturing?
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Lean manufacturing involves applying the "laws of lean" to a manufacturing process. The five laws of lean manufacturing are:
1. Law of the market.
The law of the market states that the customer is the highest priority. The customer is the fire and foremost priority over any other in the business.
2. Law of flexibility.
The law of flexibility states that a flexible the process is fastest.
3. Law of focus.
The law of focus states that only 20 percent of all activities in a manufacturing process cause 80 percent of all delays and defects. Focus effort on that critical 20 percent for the greatest improvement in cycle time, efficiency, and waste reduction. This is an application of Pareto's law to process improvement.
4. Law of velocity.
The law of velocity states that the velocity of a process is inversely proportional to the amount of WIP or work in process. This law can distilled to the idea that the more WIP one has, the more lead time and wasted time the process has.
5. Law of complexity.
The law of complexity states that complexity adds non-value. In other words, complexity is not value added. Keep is simple in order to keep it lean.
Duties
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Experts in lean manufacturing apply these five laws of lean to manufacturing operations. They identify non-value added activities. Then the lean manufacturing experts redesign the manufacturing process to eliminate these non-value added activities.
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Other Responsibilities
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Experts in lean manufacturing seek to minimize inventory, cycle time, system complexity, and unnecessary processing steps. These same principles can be applied to service oriented businesses in addition to manufacturing processes.
Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma
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Lean manufacturing is focused on eliminating non-value added activities. This includes reducing wasted effort, delays, and defects. Six sigma has the singular goal of reducing defects to 3.4 defects or fewer per million opportunities or products made. A manufacturing process that meets six sigma quality standards may not be lean. A lean manufacturing process seeks to minimize defective product because defective product is a waste of time and material. However, a lean process does not have to meet six sigma standards.
Lean Manufacturing and Lean Six Sigma
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Lean manufacturing focuses on a streamlined and efficient manufacturing process. A lean sigma implementation will aim for a process designed for greater efficiency as well as meeting the six sigma quality standard.
Training
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Industrial engineers receive a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering. This degree can include a minor in "lean manufacturing". Many colleges with industrial engineering programs also offer courses in lean manufacturing to M.B.A. students. Lean manufacturing certificate courses are available through the Institute of Industrial Engineers. There are also consulting organizations that offer training in lean manufacturing and lean six sigma.
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References
Resources
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