Staying lean in the pandemic

Staying lean in the Pandemic

Even two-second improvements add up to big savings, just like compound interest.

Two-second improvements VIDEO

I’ve been getting asked this question a lot these days: How does lean fit in with this pandemic? Does this story sound familiar? “The supply chain is unreliable. Some items I can’t even get. How can I possibly use Kanban? Employees are impossible to find. Add in we seem to be busier than ever, and I just don’t think we have time for lean.”

Remember, at its core lean thinking it’s just solving problems intentionally on a regular basis. If you have problems, then lean is more important than ever.

Kanban vs. supply
The minute the supply chain becomes unreliable is the minute those systems fall apart. Don’t try to use a reliable system with an unreliable supply chain. Depending on your cash position and your ability to store material, it might be possible to increase all Kanban quantities past what you might need in hopes that it shows up sporadically and you just don’t run out. 

But most of us don’t have this luxury. At my factory, we literally phone every supplier every single day and buy everything that they have, and quite often it’s still not enough. Desperate times call for desperate measures. You’ve got to do what you have to do!  However, that doesn’t mean bail on your whole Kanban system. It becomes more important than ever.

Labor vs. lean
The labor shortage is a bigger problem and something lean thinking can directly impact. It’s more important than ever to start squeezing every last ounce of waste out of our processes. At my shop, we reduce the personal and extended our morning meeting and improvement time on all three shifts to a full 30 minutes each.

That seems counterintuitive. When there are fewer people to do more work, taking time away from production seems ludicrous. We learned the most effective way to get more time out of each day is to make MORE improvements. Saying, “You have 30 minutes to make an improvement,” doesn’t guarantee an actual improvement. Without trained team leaders to help guide and implement improvements, you might just end up with 30 more minutes of sweeping. 

Stepping up improvements
Weigh each improvement against three key factors to determine if it’s actually going to be a benefit. 

·        Safety — Does it improve safety?

·        Quality — Does it improve quality?

·        Simplicity — Does it make a process easier (or simplify anything)?

If you get one or more of these factors in an improvement, there is a good chance it also has a positive impact on speed.

Labor alternatives
How about that labor shortage? Here are three options:

•         Outsourcing

•         Automate processes that can augment your people’s efforts.

•         Don’t ignore your 3S efforts (Sweep, Sort, Standardize).

When you can’t hire enough people, robots look more attractive.

In conclusion: Just because the world is going crazy, you don’t have to join them! All your lean tools and techniques will better position you in any economic environment. The companies that stay true to their lean principles will survive longer and bounce back faster than competitors scrambling at every turn.

SOURCE: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/knowledge-center/lean-manufacturing/staying-lean-pandemic