What is Lean & why we need lean

[Audio] What Is Lean & Why Its Needed For Manufacturing Jayantha Premasingha.

[Audio] Lean History The history of Lean can be traced back to early 20th-century industrial practices, with its formal development taking place primarily in Japan at Toyota Motor Corporation. The term "Lean" was coined much later, but the principles behind it have evolved over time. Here's a timeline of key developments in the history of Lean.

[Audio] Early Foundations Lean's origins are based on earlier industrial practices and concepts aimed at improving efficiency and reducing waste. Some notable precursors include: Frederick Winslow Taylor’s Scientific Management (1911): Taylor's work focused on improving labor productivity by scientifically analyzing workflows. He introduced time studies and standardized work methods to improve efficiency. Henry Ford and the Moving Assembly Line (1913): Henry Ford revolutionized mass production by introducing the moving assembly line. By standardizing parts and simplifying tasks, Ford greatly reduced manufacturing time and costs in his automobile factories. His system was based on producing high volumes of standardized products with minimal variation. However, Ford’s system lacked flexibility—his famous quote "You can have any color as long as it’s black" illustrates this. It couldn’t easily accommodate customizations or changes in customer demand..

[Audio] Toyota and the Toyota Production System (1940s–1950s) The true origins of Lean began in Japan, where Toyota developed what would later be called the Toyota Production System (T-P-S--), which is the foundation of Lean. Kiichiro Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno, and Shigeo Shingo: These Toyota leaders played a critical role in developing the T-P-S after World War II. Faced with limited resources and a small domestic market, they sought ways to improve efficiency and reduce waste without compromising quality. Just-in-Time (J-I-T--) Production: One of the key components of T-P-S--, Just-in-Time, was designed to reduce excess inventory by producing only what was needed, when it was needed, and in the quantity needed. This principle minimized waste and ensured efficient use of resources. Jidoka (Autonomation): Another important aspect of T-P-S--, Jidoka refers to the concept of "automation with a human touch," where machines are equipped to stop automatically when a defect is detected. This allowed workers to identify and address problems immediately, improving quality and reducing rework..

[Audio] Kaizen (Continuous Improvement): T-P-S placed a strong emphasis on continuous improvement, where every employee—from factory workers to management—was encouraged to participate in identifying problems and finding solutions to improve processes. Eliminating Waste (Muda): The central tenet of T-P-S was the identification and elimination of waste (known as Muda in Japanese). Toyota identified eight types of waste that exist in manufacturing. Defects Overproduction Waiting Unused talent Transportation Inventory Motion Extra processing Toyota’s focus on reducing these wastes allowed it to produce high-quality cars with fewer resources and less time compared to Western competitors..

[Audio] Development of Lean in the West (1980s) Although T-P-S had been in place since the 1950 seconds, its principles weren't widely recognized in the West until the 1980 seconds. Several key events helped bring Lean to global attention: Toyota’s Global Success: During the 1970 seconds and 1980 seconds, Toyota's ability to produce high-quality cars at lower costs than American and European automakers drew international attention. Western manufacturers began to study Toyota’s production methods to understand the reasons behind its success. The Machine That Changed the World (1990): This book, written by James P Womack, Daniel T Jones, and Daniel Roos, was based on a comprehensive study of global automotive production. It introduced the term Lean Manufacturing to describe the highly efficient, waste-reducing practices of the Toyota Production System. The book compared Lean production to traditional mass production, highlighting the benefits of Lean principles like just-in-time production, waste elimination, and continuous improvement. Introduction of Lean to Other Industries: Although Lean was initially developed for manufacturing, especially in the automotive sector, its principles proved applicable across various industries. By the 1990 seconds, Lean methodologies were being applied in sectors such as healthcare, construction, services, and even government..

[Audio] Lean Evolution (1990s–Present) As Lean became more widely adopted, its principles evolved and expanded beyond the original T-P-S framework: Lean Thinking (1996): James P Womack and Daniel T Jones published the book "Lean Thinking," which further popularized Lean principles. The book outlined five key Lean principles: Specify Value: Understand what the customer values and focus on that. Map the Value Stream: Identify the steps in the production process and eliminate those that do not add value. Create Flow: Ensure that products and information flow smoothly through the production process. Establish Pull: Produce only what is needed, when it is needed, based on customer demand. Seek Perfection: Continuously work to improve processes and eliminate waste. Lean in Healthcare and Services: Starting in the 2000 seconds, Lean principles were applied in non-manufacturing sectors. In healthcare, for instance, Lean is used to improve patient flow, reduce wait times, and eliminate inefficiencies in processes such as medication administration and surgery scheduling. Lean Startup (2011): Eric Ries introduced the Lean Startup methodology in his book "The Lean Startup," applying Lean principles to entrepreneurship. His approach focuses on creating and testing hypotheses quickly, learning from failures, and iterating to improve a product or service based on customer feedback..

[Audio] Modern Lean Practices Today, Lean is a global philosophy, and its principles are applied across industries ranging from software development to education. Some modern developments in Lean include: Lean Six Sigma: This approach combines Lean principles with Six Sigma's focus on reducing variation and improving quality. Lean Six Sigma is used to streamline processes and improve performance by removing waste and defects. Lean Manufacturing 4.0: With the rise of Industry 4.0, digital technologies such as automation, (A-I ), and data analytics are being integrated with Lean principles to further improve efficiency and reduce waste. Summary of Lean's History: Early 20th century: Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management and Henry Ford’s assembly line. 1940s–1950s: Development of the Toyota Production System (T-P-S--) with key principles like Just-in-Time, Kaizen, and Jidoka. 1980s–1990s: Lean is popularized in the West through books like "The Machine That Changed the World" and "Lean Thinking." 1990s–present: Lean principles expand to industries outside of manufacturing, including healthcare, services, and startups. Lean remains one of the most influential methodologies for improving efficiency, reducing waste, and delivering customer value across various industries..

[Audio] What is Lean? Lean is a manufacturing and management philosophy that focuses on eliminating waste while delivering maximum value to the customer. It originated from the Toyota Production System and has since been widely adopted across industries, including the garment industry. Lean aims to achieve efficiency, reduce waste, improve product quality, and optimize the use of resources like time, materials, and labor. Core Concepts of Lean: Value: Defined from the customer’s perspective—what they are willing to pay for. Waste (Muda): Anything that does not add value to the customer and can be eliminated. Continuous Improvement (Kaizen): An ongoing effort to improve products, services, and processes..

[Audio] Why We Need Lean in a Garment Factory Reduce Waste: Garment factories often suffer from wastes like overproduction, excess inventory, rework, and unnecessary material handling. Lean helps in identifying and eliminating these wastes. Improve Efficiency: Lean reduces bottlenecks, waiting times, and production slowdowns, ensuring that the factory operates more smoothly and efficiently. Enhance Quality: By focusing on continuous improvement, Lean helps reduce defects, ensuring better product quality. Cost Reduction: Lean lowers operational costs by cutting waste, optimizing material use, and reducing unnecessary labor or production steps. Faster Lead Times: Lean practices such as just-in-time production allow factories to respond quickly to customer demands, minimizing delays. Increased Flexibility: Lean enables quicker adaptation to new trends or customer orders in a dynamic fashion industry. Employee Engagement: Lean encourages worker involvement in suggesting and implementing process improvements, boosting morale and productivity..

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[Audio] How to Apply Lean in a Garment Factory Process To apply Lean in a garment factory, follow these steps aligned with Lean principles: 1. Identify Value Understand what the customer values: high-quality garments, competitive prices, and timely delivery. Focus on ensuring that these elements are prioritized during production. 2. Map the Value Stream Value Stream Mapping (V-S-M--): Map out the entire production process from receiving raw materials (fabrics, trims) to cutting, sewing, packaging, and shipping. Identify value-adding and non-value-adding (waste) steps. In a garment factory, waste could include overproduction, excessive handling of garments, waiting for materials, et cetera Examples of non-value-added activities: Waiting for fabric delivery. Excessive motion between workstations. Rework due to defective garments. 3. Create Flow Streamline Workflow: Organize production so that it flows smoothly and continuously from one step to the next. Reduce bottlenecks: Avoid situations where workers are waiting for fabric or machinery by ensuring a steady flow of materials and processes. Rearrange workstations: For example, place cutting, sewing, and finishing stations close together to minimize unnecessary movement and waiting time. Example in Garment Factory: Place fabric cutting, sewing, and quality inspection stations in a logical sequence to reduce transportation time between stages..

[Audio] 4. Establish Pull Implement a Pull System: Produce only based on actual customer demand rather than pushing products through the system regardless of need. Just-in-Time (J-I-T--): Ensure that raw materials and components like fabric and trims arrive only when needed for production, reducing excess inventory. Kanban: Use visual signals to indicate when new materials are needed at specific stages of production. Example in Garment Factory: If a specific garment style is selling well, production is triggered by customer orders. Workers only start producing new batches of garments when there is demand. 5. Seek Perfection (Continuous Improvement) Involve workers at all levels in suggesting improvements to eliminate waste, improve quality, or enhance workflow. Conduct regular reviews to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or areas where quality can be improved. Use Kaizen principles to continuously refine processes and find new ways to eliminate waste. Example in Garment Factory: Workers suggest moving sewing machines closer to cutting areas to reduce transportation time, or they implement a system for faster quality checks to catch defects early in the process..

[Audio] Key Lean Tools for a Garment Factory 5S Methodology: Sort: Remove unnecessary tools and materials. Set in Order: Organize tools and materials for easy access. Shine: Keep the workplace clean and orderly. Standardize: Ensure consistency in work practices. Sustain: Maintain the improvements through regular audits. Kanban: Visual cards or boards to signal when more materials are needed in the production process. Helps ensure materials are only ordered or produced as needed. Kaizen: A culture of continuous improvement where employees regularly propose small changes that result in greater efficiency, better quality, or reduced waste. Poka-Yoke: Error-proofing mechanisms that help workers avoid mistakes, such as setting up machines so they can only be operated in one correct way, preventing fabric defects or poor stitching. SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Dies): A method to reduce the time needed to switch between different garment production runs (for example, switching from producing shirts to jackets). This reduces downtime and increases flexibility..

[Audio] Example of Lean Application in a Garment Factory Problem: Excessive waiting time between the fabric cutting and sewing stages. Lean Solution: Rearrange the cutting and sewing stations so they are closer, and use a pull system to ensure cut fabric is only produced when the sewing station is ready to receive it. Implement a Kanban system to signal when more fabric is needed. Problem: High defect rate in finished garments. Lean Solution: Use Poka-Yoke methods to prevent stitching mistakes, introduce quality checks at earlier stages (in-line inspection), and engage workers in continuous improvement efforts to identify defect causes. Problem: Excess inventory of unsold garments. Lean Solution: Implement Just-in-Time production, so garments are only produced based on actual orders. Reduce overproduction by linking production closely to customer demand signals. Benefits of Applying Lean in a Garment Factory Cost Savings: Reduction in waste leads to lower operational costs. Better Quality: Fewer defects due to continuous improvement and error-proofing. Improved Productivity: Streamlined workflows and reduced waiting times increase productivity. Faster Lead Times: Just-in-time production ensures quicker response to customer orders. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Better quality, faster delivery, and lower costs translate to happier customers..

[Audio] Benefits Of Applying The Lean Principles To The Factory Increased Efficiency: Streamlines processes by eliminating waste, leading to faster production and reduced downtime. Cost Savings: Cuts costs by minimizing excess inventory, reducing defects, and lowering rework. Improved Product Quality: Focuses on defect prevention and continuous improvement, ensuring higher quality garments. Faster Lead Times: Simplifies production steps, allowing quicker turnaround times and faster delivery. Enhanced Worker Productivity: Empowers employees to identify inefficiencies and contribute to improvements. Better Use of Space: Optimizes the layout and movement of materials, reducing clutter and improving workflow..

[Audio] Applying Lean to a garment factory reduces waste, improves efficiency, and enhances product quality by streamlining processes and eliminating unnecessary steps. This leads to cost savings, faster production, and better employee engagement in continuous improvement efforts. Jayantha Premasingha.