lean management strategies

Question 1

lean management

Answer 1

focuses on minimising waste while simultaneously maximising productivity and value for the end customer.

Question 2

The four principles of lean management

Answer 2

• pull
• takt
• zero defects
• one piece flow

Question 3

PUll

Answer 3

is where customer demand dictates the rate at which goods or services are produced. Rather than a business producing as much as possible and trying to push these products to the market, the pull concept is where the business only produces the amount that the market demands.

Question 4

pull example

Answer 4

Hearing aids

Question 4

one piece flow

Answer 4

The operations process focuses on one good or service at a time. If multiple tasks are being performed on a product at a time, it can cause interruptions. Instead, one piece being focused on at a time during production reduces waiting times as the product has a continuous flow through production.

Question 5

one piece flow example

Answer 5

subway

Question 6

takt

Answer 6

refers to the speed at which a business needs to produce products to meet customer demand. This allows a business to have a continuous flow and adapt quickly to any rises or falls in demand. It is better to have a continuous flow of production rather than having various starts and stops.

Question 7

takt example

Answer 7

subway

Question 8

zero defects

Answer 8

is about identifying errors or defects as soon as they occur so they can be rectified immediately. Defects cause waste and a lean business will aim to have zero defects. Although errors will always occur in operations, a lean business will aim to not pass on defects to the next area of production.

Question 9

zero defects example

Answer 9

subway

Question 10

4 principles disadvantages

Answer 10

• employees may be reluctant
• if suppliers do not deliver materials on time, the business may be unable to optimise the flow of production and meet customer demand
• may be overwhelming for employees as there is a continuous goal for the improvement of processes and waste minimisation
• time consuming to train employees
• costly to implement due to training

Question 11

pull efficiency and effectiveness

Answer 11

efficiency:
reduces overproduction and minimises waste of materials, time and labour
effectiveness;
gain products at the right quality which ensures customer needs and expectation of value are met

Question 12

one pice flow efficiency and effectiveness

Answer 12

efficiency:
reduces the number of errors in production by only producing one unit at a time
effectiveness:
only maintaines processes which add value to customers, improving their satisfaction

Question 13

takt efficiency and effectiveness

Answer 13

efficiency
optimises the flow of materials between stages and production, reducing time being wasted
effectiveness
imrproves the flow of processes and optimises the production of goods, improving customer satisfaction

Question 14

zero defect efficiency and effectiveness

Answer 14

efficiency
employees and the business aim to continuously reduce waste and encouraged to anticipate faults
effectiveness
aiming for continuous improvement may lead to customers recieving products with no defects and of quality, improving their satisfaction

Question 15

efficiency

Answer 15

Reduces waste and overproduction
Minimises erros (OPF - one unit at a time)
Reduces time being wasted (takt)

Question 16

effectiveness

Answer 16

gain products at the right quality ensuring customer expectation are met
Improves customer satisfaction - quality is improved, no defects