ISO 9000

Lean Implementation Program

In summary, an example of a lean implementation program would be:

- Senior management to agree and discuss their lean vision

- Management brainstorm to identify project leader and set objectives

- Communicate plan and vision to the workforce

- Ask for volunteers to form the Lean Implementation team (5-7 works best, all from different departments)

- Appoint members of the Lean Manufacturing Implementation Team

- Train the Implementation Team in the various lean tools - make a point of trying to visit other non competing businesses which have implemented lean

- Select a Pilot Project - 5S is a good place to start

- Run the pilot for 2-3 months - evaluate, review and learn from your mistakes

- Roll out pilot to other factory areas

- Evaluate results, encourage feedback

- Once you are satisfied that you have a habitual program, consider introducing the next lean tool. Select the one which will give you the biggest return for your business.[1]

Some of the lean tools are easier to implement than others. Technological advances have brought many new tools that can speed up the implementation process and help you sustain gains.

Danuta Highet

Foqus, Inc. November 1, 2006

[1]Notice: This article is licensed under the <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html">GNU Free Documentation License</a>. It uses material from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasyntactic_variable">Wikipedia article "Lean Manufacturing"</a>.

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