`Lean' Terms
April 2, 2006
"Lean" manufacturing is a radical departure from the traditional manufacturing process. Companies that "go lean" must learn a new lexicon, including some Japanese terms.
Cell: An arrangement of machines and workbenches for consecutive processing steps adjacent to one another, often in a U-shape, so that parts can be made singly or in small batches.
Continuous flow: Moving one item at a time or small batches through a series of processing steps with little or no pause between steps.
Jidoka: Giving workers and machines the ability to detect problems immediately so that work stops until the cause is found and remedied.
Just-in-time production: Making and delivering just what it needed, when it is needed and in the precise amount needed.
Kaizen: Continuous improvement of the manufacturing process to create more value with less waste.
Muda: Waste; any activity that consumes resources without creating value for the customer.
Right-sized tools: Machines and other process equipment that require little set-up time and are easy to move, suitable for work in cells.
Takt time: Available production time, divided by the number of parts demanded by a customer; used to precisely match production to demand.
Value-stream mapping: Diagramming every step in the flow of materials and information through a plant that is needed to get a product from order to delivery.
