Manufacturing Learning Australia offer on site implementation of Lean manufacturing solutions tailored to the business goals of an organisation. Lean Manufacturing is a systematic process for the elimination of waste throughout the organisation. The lean manufacturing system can show improvements in productivity, efficiency, workplace culture, safety and job satisfaction. The lean system is achieving more with what you have, and improving the way business happens and is best achieved when supported by senior management.
Australian enterprises are showing significant improvements using Lean manufacturing solutions. The experience of large companies includes:
- Qantas – identified $1.8m waste in a single division
- Goodman Fielder – food processing, 30% improvement in equipment capacity and utilisation
- Alcoa – removed $18 m wastes – 100% safer work place
- BP Solar – improved yield by 40%
- Acton Air – competes with imported air-conditioning
With the Lean Manufacturing principles the user can:
- Specify value from the standpoint of the end customer by product family
- Identify all the steps in the value stream, eliminating any that do not create value
- Ensure the value-added steps flow smoothly towards the customer
- Let customers pull value from the next upstream activity
- Pursue perfection through continuous improvement (Womack & Jones)
Lean concepts:
Lean manufacturing system identifies three key elements contributing to waste in an organisation
- Instability/variation (Mura) – resulting in: Overproduction and stockpiling inventory, Undermines efforts to eliminate waste
- Overburden (Muri) – resulting in: Reduced capacity
- Waste (Muda) – often in seven areas: Defects, Overproduction, Unnecessary inventory, Transport, Waiting, Excess motion, Inappropriate processing
Lean Manufacturing system provides a systematic process and a range of tools, which are used in combination to target these key issues. Many organisations begin their Lean Manufacturing journey using the tools - Kazien, 5S and Value Stream Mapping.
Manufacturing Learning Australia and Lean Australia have assisted small to medium enterprises in regional NSW to achieve:
- improved workplace culture and standards of professionalism
- up to 60% improvement in productivity
- significant reductions work in progress
- up to 75% reduction in lead times better use of premises and not having to re-locate the business