For business owners looking for ways to boost productivity and maximize efficiency, 5S and Kaizen are terms that are regularly thrown around, but what is the difference between the two? The two methodologies are some of the most popular and although they can be seen as quite similar, it is important to know the differences before getting stuck in. 5S is a methodology that derives from Japan…
The term poka yoke may sound odd to the average person reading in English, but it is actually a very popular and helpful concept. The term comes from the Japanese language where it was first developed. It is roughly translated to mean mistake-proofing and was first used as a manufacturing idea by the Toyota Motor Company. The ideas behind poka yoke are used in many ways throughout…
You’ve done it! You’ve chosen to start a new 5S program at your business. Get ready for quite the ride with all the improvements that are going to be cascading onto you and your employee’s shoulders as you climb on board with this well-known Lean manufacturing method. Those improvements don’t happen by themselves though, both upper management and employees must work together to make successful and lasting…
The term Kaizen comes from two Japanese words. Kai, which means change, and Zen, which means good. In the manufacturing world, this generally gets translated to mean change for the better, which is the basis for the concept of continuous improvement. Companies that aren’t always looking for ways to improve will find that they are left behind because their competitors are working hard to overtake them. This…
Lean manufacturing just-in-time (JIT) production are two concepts that have quite a bit in common but are actually distinct strategies. Where JIT is focused on improving efficiency, lean looks to take using efficiency to help add additional value to the products that the customer is buying. When used together, these two strategies can provide many important benefits to a manufacturing facility. Learn more about what each of…
5s is the organization of the workplace or a factory that enables the workers to control their work area and eliminate obstacles that hinder work. The 5s factory system originated from the Japanese work culture and is popular in many work places. There are immense benefits of this system and if implemented efficiently, it can help organize, grow and enhance performance tremendously. Here are the basic practices…
Is it even possible to measure 5s success or ROI? The battle has been raging for some time now about how one can, or cannot, actually measure success as it applies to 5S practices. Some proponents go as far as to state that because you cannot show how much money has been saved through the implementation of 5S in your facility or organization, that an ROI is…
Strategic Leadership As the decision maker of your company, perhaps even the very company you created or help create out of nothing more than a dream, it is your job to stay the course and keep that ship on an even keel – in other words, profitable and stable. But now that the company has grown to the point where you are able to pass on the…
A lot of companies and organizations often don’t see the need for deploying the 5s principles. This is often attributed to the fact that a lot of them really don’t understand what they will gain by taking the steps that will help them in organizing and streamlining their daily routines. However, with the right tools and information, this lack of insight can be quickly turned around. Millions of…
Proper organization policies are very vital in any company that wants to run smoothly. This is because organization creates a smooth transitional flow from one process to another. One of the most common and popular methods of implementing such organizations in a company is the lean management method. It has, over the years, proven itself to be very successful and productive if implemented in the right manner.…