5.3 lean production

Question 1

what is lean production

Answer 1

approach to production that focuses on minimizing waste from all aspects of the production process while maintaining high quality.

supporting sentence: Lean production aims to minimize costs by eliminating waste, making the organization more efficient, and more responsive to changing market needs. The overall objective of this production method is to produce quality output with fewer resources

Question 2

8 sources of waste according to lean production

Answer 2

1. defects: efforts caused by rework, scrap and incorrect info
2. waiting: wasted time waiting for the next step in the process
3. Transportation: unnecessary movements of products and materials
4. motion: unncessary movements by people
5. overproduction: production that is more than needed or before its needed
6. non-utilized potential: not using people´s talents, skills and knowledge to its max
7. inventory: excess products and materials not being processed
8. extra processing: extra processing or activities that dont add value

Question 3

what is efficiency

Answer 3

using resources more productively in order to generate output. There is greater efficiency if an organization can produce more goods and services (increasing its output) by using the same or fewer resources (its inputs).

Question 4

how can efficiency be measured

Answer 4

Sales per person
Output per worker
Output per machine hour

Question 5

how to achieve greater efficiency

Answer 5

• Improved level of motivation in the workplace.
• Improved technologies and capital equipment.
• Improved provision of training

Question 6

what is the aim of lean production

Answer 6

aims to increase resource flexibility, e.g., through developing a multi-skilled workforce. It also aims to improve efficiency by eliminating production processes that do not add any value to output. Finally, lean production involves managing the supply chain in order to improve operational efficiency (and eliminate waste in the process).

Question 7

why is lean production good in terms of sustainability (relation to past unit)

Answer 7

because it benefits the company in economic sustainability and also it benefits ecological sustainability

Question 8

what are the two methods of lean production

Answer 8

JIT (just in time)
Kaizen

Question 9

lean production

Answer 9

The use of lean production methods helps to prevent or minimize the chances of a business from incurring waste (inefficiencies) as a result of not detecting quality issues during the production process.

Question 10

what is kaizen (continous improvement)

Answer 10

• process and philosophy of making continuous small, incremental improvements to production processes in order to achieve greater efficiency.
• employees are constantly looking to make small improvements in the way things get produced
• workers know more than managers about how a job should be done or how productivity might be improved.

Question 11

toyota kaizen clip

Question 12

kaizen advantages

Answer 12

• motivation down to top hierarchy. employees have the initiative
• positive impact on staff motivation and labour productivity, as workers feel respected and valued by the employer.
• employees receptive to small and incremental changes, than highly disruptive or unsettling changes.

Question 13

kaizen disadvantages

Answer 13

• it takes time to develop kaizen culture
• works only with commitment of employees
• works only with trust from senior management on employees
• time consuming (schedule meetings)
• expensive (staff training and upskilling)

Question 14

what are some needs for kaizen to work

Answer 14

• depends on whether senior management are willing to delegate and empower their staff to be involved in the decision-making process.
• employee empowerment is a key requirement for Kaizen to occur, as employees are given the responsibility to provide suggestions about what improvements can be made.
• staff must believe approach, put in the necessary effort and commitment
• Staff may resent the use of their time in this way (counter-productive) and feel that it is the role and responsibility of managers to make decisions (they are paid to do so!)

Question 15

kaizen relates to

Answer 15

motivational theories, change, organizational hierarchy, leadership styles (which one?) etc

Question 16

what is JIT

Answer 16

Holding large volumes of stock (inventory) can be very costly and wasteful.
stock management system that aims to increase efficiency and reduce waste through minimizing stock levels by only receiving stock when it is needed in production.

Question 17

supporting sentence of JIT

Answer 17

contrast, a just-in-case (JIC) stock control system requires businesses (such as Coca-Cola) to have large quantities of stock in the event that it is needed for an unexpected order or in case there is a problem with the supply chain (such as a late delivery of stock).

Question 18

JIT video

Question 19

what conditions should be met for JIT to work

Answer 19

1. Relationships with suppliers excellent.
2. Production staff must be multi-skilled
3. Equipment and machinery flexible.
4. Accurate demand forecasts
5. latest capital equipment
6. Excellent employer-employee relationships
7. Quality must be everyone’s priority.

Question 20

advantages of JIT

Answer 20

• Capital invested in stock is reduced.
• Costs of storage reduced.
• stock rarely outdated o
• Fewer stock reduce risk of damage and wastage.
• flexibility leads to quicker response times to changes in consumer demands and tastes.
• The multi-skilled and adaptable staff required may gain motivation.

Question 21

disadvantages of JIT

Answer 21

• failure to receive supplies in time lead to expensive production delays.
• Delivery costs increase as there will be frequent small deliveries.
• costs may rise because so many small orders need to be processed.
• reduction in the bulk discounts offered by suppliers because each order is likely to be small.
• reputation of business depends on outside factors such as the reliability of supplying firms.

Question 22

JIT video 2

Question 23

CNN video

Question 24

what is cradle2cradle

Answer 24

manufacturing principle that seeks to create production techniques that are not just efficient but are essentially waste-free and truly sustainable.

Question 25

how is the design of cradle to cradle

Answer 25

sustainable, waste-free production model in which all material inputs can be recycled or reused, or are consumable or compostable. sustainable approach to manufacturing

Question 26

aim of cradle 2 cradle

Answer 26

minimise the negative impacts of production on the natural environment.

Question 27

examples of cradle2cradle

Answer 27

reducing excess packaging, using recycled materials, making goods more durable (so there is less of a need to replace them so frequently), and using sustainable and environmentally friendly production methods (which help to reduce waste and pollution)

Question 28

what are cradle to grave

Answer 28

items are thrown out and are no longer useful and in some cases are harmful to the environment.

Question 29

quality control

Answer 29

quality product is a good or service that meets customers expectations and is “fit for purpose.” item is reliable (safe, durable, and good value for money (the price is justified by its value).

Question 30

quality control

Answer 30

a supervisor or inspector periodically checks and examines output for possible defects, usually at the end of the production process. Quality controllers aim to ensure the products comply with quality standards. They are specialist inspectors, so are hired to maintain quality standards.

Question 31

quality control mass production

Answer 31

conducted in a systematic way, such as once every hour or every 100th unit of output.

Question 32

quality control expensive products

Answer 32

each one is checked to ensure quality standards are met.

Question 33

advantages quality control

Answer 33

• prevents poor quality output reaching the end-user. improve customer satisfaction.
• Quality controllers are experts, ensure fewer mistakes are made.
• cheaper than quality assurance fewer workers need to be trained to check for quality.
• competitive advantage in the market as customers are more likely to choose products from a reliable and reputable supplier.

Question 34

disadvantages quality control

Answer 34

• reactive method of quality management, so does not prevent mistakes
• If products are only checked at the end of the production process, this can result in a rather large volume of products that dont meet quality
• accepted reject rate (given that it is not possible to check every unit of output)