Treating and disposing of solid waste is an age-old problem. How can Lean Six Sigma help? We’ll answer by exploring several cases: Reducing waste collection accidents Improving infectious waste disposal Reducing trash pickup costs Reducing solid waste transfer costs Improving aluminum can recycling rates Reducing Waste Collection Accidents: Jakarta Accidents can occur during solid waste [...]
Lean is used for continuous improvement in the wood furniture industry, reducing waste, improving flow, implementing standard work, and reducing setup time. We’ll look at four case studies that employ this methodology using a variety of Lean tools. Finally, we’ll reference an example video of wood chair production. Using it to Implement Standard Work In [...]
Farming is a system of interrelated processes focused on production. Material flow and reducing waste are key. Therefore, it is natural that Lean would be important in making improvements in farming. Neil Fedden, managing director of Fedden USP in a video from ADHB, Britain’s Official channel of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, gives us [...]
Whenever goods are sold, they most often are transmitted in a package. Therefore, packaging is a key process for producers. Lean is well suited to removing waste and improving the flow in the process, whether manufacturing the packaging material or placing the product in a package and labeling it. We’ll explore how Lean is being [...]
We’re all familiar with the 5 Whys as a path for root cause analysis. But is it enough? What’s beyond the 5 Whys? Are there times they shouldn’t be used? Are there other alternatives? We’ll explore those questions and provide answers from experts. First, Paul Allen, Lean Six Sigma consultant of Allen and Partners Limited, [...]
We will look at two examples of Lean Six Sigma applied to paper manufacturing. First to generic papermaking, and second to producing baby diapers. In a paper titled “An Application of Customized Lean Six Sigma to Enhance Productivity at a Paper Manufacturing Company” Nabeel Mandahawia, Rami H. Fouad, and Suleiman Obeidata present a process improvement [...]
In a recent blog titled Lean and Six Sigma in Construction, the concept of Lean Construction was discussed. The Last Planner System and Pull Planning are key parts of Lean Construction. What are they, and how are they used in Lean Construction? Unified Works, a lean advisor for the construction industry, introduces the Last Planner [...]
Do you receive hundreds of emails a day? Are you spending more and more time reading and responding? How can Lean help you deal with the flood? Lean Principle: Standardized Work Dan Markowitz, Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member, discusses how the Lean principle Standardized Work can be used to tame the email flood in a [...]
There are many methods for making multi-objective decisions described in Lean Six Sigma and other disciplines. Benjamin Franklin developed a simple but effective one. In 1772, Joseph Priestly, the discoverer of oxygen, had an important decision to make that had several advantages and disadvantages. He turned to his friend, Benjamin Franklin for help. In the [...]
We are quite familiar with Lean’s 5s. How can we use them to improve safety? Enter the 5s + 1 or 6s approach. We learn how from Gary Beaudette, Lean Consultant and owner – Baudette Consulting, Inc. 5s can improve safety, quality, and productivity. In particular, 5s can have a tremendous positive impact on safety. [...]
