| Hands-on Lean Manufacturing
In a recent job search for Industrial or Manufacturing Engineers positions, familiarity with Lean Manufacturing was ranked consistently as either the first or second most important skills employers sought from prospective employees. Although it is simple to introduce what lean manufacturing “is” in terms of philosophy, companies are now seeking engineers with real-world knowledge and practical lean project experience.
This hands-on tarining follows a number of stages that create an overview of Lean Manufacturing usage in an actual company. First, an old job-shop type factory is constructed using training materials, and 14 students are assigned different job functions for 20 minutes, simulating the working environment in a factory. In this initial stage, accounting analysis with a focus on costs and revenues is conducted, and company is recorded for a $762.50 loss. By providing students with these numbers, this stage demonstrates the downfall of a poorly-designed manufacturing system, as a company in such financial circumstances has little choice but to layoff workers or close the business. Through seeing the reality of many companies, students could understand why designing a perfect manufacturing system is key to the success of a company.
In the second stage, the instructor introduces how to identify “muda,” or the Japanese word for “waste.” Different lean tools used to eliminate muda, such as standardization, 5S, setup reduction, Pull/Kanban system, and visual control, point of usage storage, etc., provide solutions to identified waste.
After implementing lean tools, students eliminate unnecessary work stations and create a U-shaped facility layout that increases efficiency and decreases waste. They simulate production once again using their new manufacturing system design, and re-calculate costs. In the end, the accounting system shows a profit of $467.50 – quite a dramatic change from the previous loss of $762.50. Within only six hours, students are able to relieve a company from a desperate situation, and turn it into a profitable factory. Thus, through a hands-on study of the manufacturing process, students truly recognize the power of lean manufacturing tools.
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