Lean Principles Intro

Question 1

What is the core idea of Lean?

Answer 1

Maximize customer value while minimizing waste.

Question 2

Lean Principles can be traced back to assembly line process improvements at auto manufacturers Olds and Ford, and more recently Toyota’s Taichi Ohno, who identified the central role of _______ and _______ _______ _______.

Answer 2

inventory / work in progress

Question 3

Within Lean, customer value is delivered by doing what?
1.
2.
3.
4.

Answer 3

1. Reducing waste
2. Improving quality
3. Reducing lead time
4. Reducing costs

Question 4

T or F

Customers routinely value speed over predictability.

Answer 4

F

Question 5

What are the five principles of Lean?

Answer 5

1. Define Customer Value
2. Map the Value Stream
3. Enable Flow
4. Develop Pull
5. Continuously Improve

Question 6

Customer Value

T or F

Besides giving external customers what is needed, an org must further provide it at the rate, time, quantity, and quality desired as efficiently as possible.

Answer 6

T

Note: Also applies to to the next process or operation within an org’s internal value stream.

Question 7

A Value Stream consists of the activities and events necessary to get the ________ or ________ to the customer.

Answer 7

product / service

Question 8

Value Stream mapping looks at _______ flow from supplier to customer and _______ flow from customer to supplier.

Answer 8

material / information

Question 9

T or F

Current and future (desired) Value Stream maps are created to define specific activities, information, timing, and events.

Answer 9

T

Question 10

What are the three main justifications for Lean / Six Sigma?

Answer 10

1. Differentiation - Besides customer focus, org’s must differentiate from competitors
2. Efficiency - Make good use of resources without waste
3. Continuous Improvement (CI) - Leaders must have a vision and promote CI as stagnation does not bode well for ongoing success

Question 11

Within Value Stream mapping, _______ _______ _______ uses a matrix to find products or services that appear to be dissimilar, but actually share at least _____ of their process steps. This prompts a product evaluation from a process, rather than a marketing, perspective.

Answer 11

Product Family Analysis / 80%

Question 12

Once the Value Stream map is complete, the difference between _______ cycle time and _______ _______ time can be used to quantify non-value added time and where problem areas such as bottlenecks, excess inventory, waste, potential safety or equipment issues are occurring.

Answer 12

total / value added

Question 13

A ______ ______ is a highly focused, short duration activity by a cross-functional team to ______ and ______ improvements to a defined work area or process.

Answer 13

Kaizen Event / design / implement

Question 14

Lean Thinking attempts to _______ the value stream (delivery) of products or services across the org. Normally, org’s are set up according to function or dep’t, with metrics and lean processes established with only that dep’t in mind, which leads to ______ _______ processes.

Answer 14

optimize / sub-optimized

Question 15

T or F

Enabling Flow within Lean means ensuring he customer the desired product or service when needed without issues by designing processes that produce a stable, predictable output within the determined cycle time.

Answer 15

T

Note: Continuous Flow is achievable only when processes can meet customer demand and the product is defect free.

Question 16

Within Enable Flow, Standard Work strives to safely and effectively use people, materials, methods, and machines through ________, _______, and _______ work practices. Benefits include a quality product, satisfied customers, a motivated work force, increased productivity, and reduced variation.

Answer 16

documented, optimized / standardized

Question 17

Within Enable Flow, Poka-Yoke improves quality through various ______-______ practices

Answer 17

error-proofing

Question 18

Within Enable Flow, inspections as part of the production process where those producing have the power to identify and stop the process is known as ______ ______ ______ _______. This is opposed to quality inspections after service or product completion, where there is no value added.

Answer 18

Quality at the Source

Question 19

Within Enable Flow, 5S methodology refers to what five actions?

Answer 19

1. Sort
2. Store
3. Shine
4. Standardize
5. Sustain

Question 20

Within Enable Flow, Continuous or One Piece Flow focuses on what two areas of Lean?

Answer 20

Cellular Environment - where everything needed for a product or service is available

Guidelines - Ensure nothing proceeds to next step until complete and correct

Question 21

Within Enable Flow, ______ / ______ reduction focus on reducing the time between completion of the last good part of a run and the first good part of a subsequent run.

Answer 21

Changeover / Setup

Question 22

Within Enable Flow, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) has team and floor associates striving to ensure _______ _______ operates at peak performance, with the goal of preventing breakdowns and defects.

Answer 22

manufacturing equipment

Question 23

Because Continuous Flow can be restricted by factors such as _______ and _______ in process times, _______ Systems are developed.

Answer 23

predictability / variation / Pull

Question 24

A Pull System communicates ______ and ______ instructions to processes upstream.

Answer 24

production / delivery

Question 25

T or F

The advantages of a Pull System are limited to reducing inventory, floor space requirements, and cycle time while improving quality.

Answer 25

F - While not limited to just the four mentioned items, Pull can be characterized as having “the right item, in the right quantity, at the right location, at the right time.”

Question 26

The benefits of Lean, such as increased customer satisfaction, improved quality, reduced waste, and shortened lead time, ultimately result in ______ ______.

Answer 26

lower costs

Question 27

Lean implementation team structure normally consists of what three levels?

Answer 27

1. Executive Champion - Sponsor and org commitment
2. Deployment Champion - Proj development, completion, and implementation
3. Lean Leaders - Kaizen consultants to team members well versed in all lean principles