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| | Brief description | Benefits sought | Detriments/barriers
Analysis of risk to sustainability of method or entire implementation effort | Treatments
To maximise benefits, and eliminate or minimise detriments | Dependants |
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| (A) Lean methods | | | | | |
| 5S—sift, sort, sweep, standardise, sustain | General organisation, cleanliness, and maintenance. | General efficiency and basis for on-going improvements. | Training required (to low/medium level).
Needs sustainability. | Develop new culture and expectation, use visual cues, develop new identity. | |
| 5 Whys—root cause analysis | Basic root cause analysis tool; ask why 5 times. Get to the root of the issue so it does not repeat. | Simple effective way of doing root cause analysis and simple way to get people thinking about analysis. | Training required (to low level). Once trained if not used and ideas not acted on can be a negative experience, and reason for disinterest and failure in future. | Find a mechanism to drive root cause analysis of issues/events and ask why for daily activities. Implement suggestions to get momentum and show commitment (maybe even when not ideal). | |
| Visual systems | Emphasis on visualisation of flow and systems of control and reporting. Part of 5s, flow and all aspects of lean. | Visualises processes, makes waste visible.
See other aspects, for example, 5s and Flow. | See other aspects, for example, 5s and Flow. | See other aspects, for example, 5s and Flow. | |
| Quality at the source, Jidoka, and Poka-yoke | Quality at source means control is given to the worker at the source of the issue—for example, on the production line. Jidoka is the respect for humans principle which includes mistake proofing (Poka-yoke) and in cases extends worker control to even shut down the production line. | Quality problems are not repeated, engagement of worker. | Training required (to medium/high level).
If ignored, momentum/morale lost. | Make training a priority with key staff and then build training into daily activities.
Systems for capturing ideas for poka-yoke and ensuring they get implemented. | |
SMED—single minute exchange of dies
(particularly beneficial to Shamrock) | Reduced setup time for machinery. Only essential internal setups made. External setups preferred to reduce downtime. | Setup time down, shorter runs possible and economically viable, enables reduced lead times and ultimately JIT.
(particularly beneficial to Shamrock due to short runs). | Training required (to medium/high level). Downtime whilst working on improvements. | Make training and kaizen a priority with key staff and then build training into daily activities for others.
Balance and make priorities clear (how much to spend on initiatives versus day job). | |
| Flexible work systems | Flexibility of employees and equipment preferred over complicated rigid or automated machinery. | Quick changeover and easily expanded systems, resources where required | Training of staff and their engagement required (to medium level). Loss of specific staff roles and responsibilities. | Communication process for change and benefits. Develop new identity. | |
| Total productive maintenance (TPM) | Ensuring machines maintained to secure against unnecessary downtime and catastrophic failure—should incorporate continuous improvement also. | Less downtime.
Health and safety improved. | Training of staff and their engagement required (to medium/high level).
Skill of staff. | Select right people, train in appropriate skills, and give understanding to staff (build new identity). | |
| Kanban | Simple tool for replenishment/pull system. Typically a card (e.g., kanban card) but could be a bin or another identifier that flags for replenishment and specifies details (supplier, qty, location). One rule of kanban is to review its size (i.e., reduce the buffer towards one piece flow as part of continuous improvement). | Links separated processes together for pseudoflow where ideal flow is not possible. | Needs setup and organisation. | Visual systems and no shortcuts help to enforce the documented procedures. | 5S |
Just in time (JIT) manufacture.
(difficult for Shamrock case) | Goods arrive just in time for processing or assembly. | WIP and lead time down, quality up. | Lack of stability because buffers removed.
Process takes much planning, training, and teething during implementation.
Negative results to culture possible during teething.
Again this is difficult in the Shamrock case due to the complicated jobbing processes. | Suggested to hold finish goods only (in production situations) or push and flow used. Both at pull of order by customer.
Must be well prepared for implementation: Staff training for their understanding and engagement, other process prepared as much as possible, ready for on-going teething internally and with suppliers. Use pilot and positive staff member willing to try. Consider carefully before implementation. | Flow achieved, needs Heijunka (level scheduling) |
Heijunka (level schedule) & takt time (pulse)
(difficult for Shamrock case) | Level scheduling is smoothing demand—we include also takt time here which is easiest understood as average demand in time (e.g., 2 parts per minute or two quotes per day, two invoices per week). | This is key to enable JIT/one piece flow effectively without excessive idle time or overtime in production. | Difficult in Shamrock scenarios due to high fluctuating demand, for example, job shops make-to-order and project based manufacture. | Level selling/marketing. Keeping buffer of finished goods to help (but not parts throughout entire system).
Understand in terms of the specific business and where it is most applicable there. | Flow achieved |
| (B) Complimentary Methods | | | | | |
Business systems
software and production control technology e.g., ERP
(particularly beneficial to Shamrock) | Interactive IT databases which may incorporate logarithms for scheduling and financial management. | Information collaborative reduced data entry and codification of knowledge.
Particularly useful at Shamrock because of high administrative demands on complicated processes and customer requirements | Typically implementation times, culture change, and customisation requirements all extensive. Can be expensive and restrictive. | Ensure the solution is right for your environment (many may be better with simple kanban planning boards and replenishment systems).
Get well prepared and ensure to have the right skill, resources, and technical support on hand. | |
| Theory of constraints (TOC) | TOC is in itself a standalone process improvement technique with its own overarching philosophy. It identifies bottlenecks “capacity constrained resources” that need to be targeted to improve flow. | Great for training and supporting flow thinking. Read the book The Goal [62] | Does not implicitly include philosophy and culture of staff engagement and empowerment—typically consultant driven and not sustained as a standalone. | Incorporate for flow training and use as suitable as a complimentary method but be careful not to affect overarching strategy. | |
| Six sigma | Six sigma is in itself a standalone process improvement technique with its own overarching philosophy. It is most well known as a statistical method of process analysis and improvement, Six sigma can be applied as a tool within a lean philosophy. | Fine improvement of processes after basic obvious waste eliminations is made. | High level training and highly time consuming exercise to use.
Workers can become too narrowly focused on statistical tools when simple problem solving is all that is required. | Use and train only as required in the meantime; use VSM and 5 whys for early results. | Other simpler methods exhausted. |
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