Author: Alphadi Team

Kanban is a method from Lean Managementused to control material flow. Cards regulate the material. Kanban (Japanese: Kan = signal, Ban = card).

A procedure instruction is a document from quality management that lists the individual activities or processes that make up a procedure in an orderly sequence. Procedure instructions are required by standards. The scope and depth of documentation, as well as the format (paper or electronic), depend on the size and structure of the organization. Procedure instructions are, like the QM manual, an important element of QM documentation.They clearly present all the sub-activities necessary for carrying out a procedure. They detail who is responsible for the tasks or what skills are required, but exclude details such as key figures. Additionally, they are designed for cross-departmental and cross-location application. In contrast, work instructions provide all the necessary information for executing a single task, such as timing, location, and procedure. Therefore, these documents should be differentiated from one another. Possible contents of procedure instructions may include descriptions such as purpose, scope, responsibilities, definitions, procedures, and related documents.

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a Six Sigma method used to align the process with customer demand (takt time). Optimization potentials are derived from the VSM.

All process steps required to produce the final product from raw materials are recorded. The material flow is considered backward, from the customer to the supplier. Through simple visualization, you can quickly see the most important aspects of your manufacturing process. The value stream design is developed from the value stream analysis as a vision.

TIMWOOD is an acronym representing seven types of waste that can occur in a process. These wastes are non-value-added and must be reduced.

Further Explanation:

T – Transport costs time and money and can cause damage.

I – Inventory ties up capital, requires space, must be transported, and monitored.

M – Unnecessary movement by employees wastes work time.

W – Often machines wait rather than people.

O – Excess work for something not currently needed.

O – Overproduction ties up capital and resources.

D – Errors and rework consume capacity.

Voice of Customer (VOC) is a tool used to translate verbal statements from external customers into measurable core statements. This involves directly surveying the customer and/or the sales team if direct customer feedback is not feasible. A Voice of (external) Customer may or may not always be present.

If the outcome of a product or service from a process is not satisfactory, the process must be optimized or the product must be redeveloped. A DMADV project has the highest project potential compared to DMAIC projects in Lean Six Sigma. This means that for your next development, you should use the DMADV tools.

Value Add Time (VAT) refers to the portion of the cycle time for which the customer is willing to pay. Maximizing this time makes you more efficient.

The Turtle Model, also known as the Turtle Diagram, is a tool from quality management used to visualize processes and illustrate relationships with the goal of identifying risks and improvement opportunities through analysis. The process is depicted as a turtle, with each part representing a process element. The head represents the input and the tail represents the output, while the legs serve as process supports. Details about material resources (What?), key performance indicators (Which?), work content (How?), and involved personnel (With whom?) are captured using W-questions. This allows for the identification of risks, which are located under the turtle, and the subsequent development of possible countermeasures.

Takt Time (also known as Cycle Time or Customer Takt) is the production speed aligned with customer demand. It helps to synchronize the production rate with the sales rate and ensures a continuous production flow. Takt Times are particularly relevant in value stream analysis. To calculate Takt Time, you need to determine customer demand and the available production time. It is derived from the formula: Available Production Time (TA) / Number of Units to be Produced (DR). Comparing Takt Time with Cycle Time allows for the assessment of equipment regarding over- and under-utilization, which can then be addressed in the next step.

Speed plays an important role in Lean Management: it is the result of streamlined, optimized processes, which are achieved by reducing waste. Particularly in production—though also in other areas such as marketing, sales, or administration—speed is a crucial factor for economic success. Improved efficiency of lean processes and faster throughput times allow for better fulfillment of customer needs and the achievement of goals in a shorter time frame than planned. This creates additional opportunities, such as increasing production capacity or initiating new projects.