What Comes First: The Lean or The Culture?
Does culture come before lean or does lean come before culture? It’s kind of a chicken or egg kind of question. Having implemented lean methodologies in various factories over many years, I can emphatically state that lean methodologies improve plant culture. Whether you are a Director of Human Resources or a Production Supervisor, consider establishing an improved culture by implementing a lean manufacturing improvement strategy. Here’s how lean improves plant culture:
Kaizen Events: Kaizens are team-based improvement events. A lean journey begins with a plan and plan implementation requires that kaizen events be used to accomplish the planned projects. So, along the journey, small focused kaizen teams are formed. These teams are cross-functional in that they are staffed with resources from various disciplines and levels. Typical resources include operators, engineers, planners, maintenance staff, office resource, quality professionals and both front-line and managerial-level employees. This team of people focus on and blitz problems using various lean tools with the goal of making significant improvements within a short period of time. These events quickly establish employee engagement and support a positive plant culture.
5S Events: One type of kaizen event focuses on plant housekeeping. The lean tool is called 5S. The 5S’s are Sort, Set-in-order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. A team that is engaged in this activity sorts-out unneeded items from the workplace, organizes everything, cleans and scrubs the area and then establishes a system to prevent backsliding, such as shadow boards and 5S audits. The 5S process creates ownership. When people detail a manufacturing area, like detailing a car, they start to take ownership of it. When employees wipe and scrub things, the process creates a certain level of connection between the person and the equipment. They not only take ownership of it, they can even become protective over it. 5S is a great way to improve process ownership and plant culture.
Visual Factory: Another tool in the lean toolbox is something called visual factory. A visual factory tells a visual story about a plant. Metric boards are posted in the plant, and they visually convey process performance. Signage is clear and easy to understand. Shadow boards let people know what is supposed to be in a work area and visually indicate if anything is missing. Process settings are documented on the machines and red and green lights let people know the operating condition of the process. When it comes to plant culture, a visual factory helps new employees to quickly learn the ropes. They immediately know where everything is and how it is supposed to operate. A visual factory allows your new people to immediately provide contribution. In a standard, non-lean factory new employees can really struggle to try to find solid footing within their role.
Other Lean Tools: Lean tools such as single piece-flow, SMED, TPM, poka-yoke and Kanban help the factory to achieve plant results. Safety, quality, service, productivity, cashflow and profits will all improve as we take our lean journey. Lean leads to success and success improves employee morale. It’s that simple.
If you are looking to improve the culture in your factory, take the lean journey!
Stay connected with news and updates!
If you want some weekly T4T wisdom coming straight to your inbox for your reading pleasure - look no further! Join our mailing list to receive the latest blogs and updates.
Don't worry, your information will not be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
