OPM2 Assignment

Esterline Technologies: Lean

Manufacturing

GROUP AK-1
14S708 Anushka Agarwal
14S719

Karan Gupta

14S735

Sandeep Rao

14S744

Rahul Singh

1. Of the key lean elements described in the case, which ones do you
think are most important, and why?
Lean manufacturing or lean production, often simply "lean", is a systemic
method for the elimination of waste ("Muda") within a manufacturing process.
Lean also takes into account waste created through overburden ("Muri") and
waste created through unevenness in workloads ("Mura"). Lean
manufacturing was an essential part of Esterlines strategy. The following are
the key lean elements described in the case and their advantages:
Value Stream Mapping: It is a lean-management method for analyzing the
current state and designing a future state for the series of events that take a
product or service from its beginning through to the customer.
The process mapping activity helped employees
To understand product flows
Uncovered bottlenecks
Revealed other opportunities for workflow improvement.
Standard Work: It is the specified task for the employees. It is very
important for
Continuous
improvement
and
employee
involvement
and
empowerment
Improved productivity without added stress
Reduction or elimination of errors and mistakes (causes of defects)
Improved cost management as wastes are removed
Visual management: Managers and supervisors can see when processes
are not operating normally. Its advantage are
Simplified version of processes
Better and faster decision making
Easy to make changes in the current process
5-S organization methods: It stands
Standardize and Sustain.
Its advantages are
Less Waste (Improved Efficiency)
Reduced Space Used For Storage
Improved Maintenance
Improved Safety
Better& More Committed Employees
Improved Quality

for

Sort,

Straighten,

Shine,

Kanban System: It a Japanese manufacturing system in which the supply of

components is regulated through the use of an instruction card sent along the
production line. Its advantages include

Flexibility
Focus on continuous delivery
Reduction of wasted work / wasted time
Increased productivity
Increased efficiency

Heijunka: It is a Japanese word that means leveling.

implemented correctly, heijunka can help an organization in

When

Better personnel management

Better production efficiency
Customer needs are met

Jidoka: The term means to systems that make it easier to identify and
correct errors in real time.

No defective products produced

To add human judgment to automated equipment
To minimize poor quality
To make the process more dependable
To have problems clearly identified so that Kaizen can be
accomplished
To give the employee responsibility and authority to stop production
High-quality
products and
improvement
in
productivity.

2. Based on the case, and your own experience, what do you believe to
be the most significant challenges for implementing lean
manufacturing? How can organizations overcome these obstacles?
Lean manufacturing or lean production, often simply "lean", is a systemic
method for the elimination of waste ("Muda") within a manufacturing process.
Lean also takes into account waste created through overburden ("Muri") and
waste created through unevenness in workloads ("Mura"). However there are
some challenges while implementing lean manufacturing. The various
challenges while implementing lean manufacturing and how to overcome
these challenges are stated as follows:
Supply Chain Issues

Lean manufacturing includes the minimization or near elimination of storage

time for incoming raw materials and outgoing finished goods. Implementing a
just-in-time (JIT) ordering system is necessary to ensure that raw materials
are constantly coming in at the perfect rate to meet operational demand. This
requires close coordination with suppliers, even going as far as integrating
automated ordering and order-fulfillment systems between the two
organizations. This kind of close operational cooperation can introduce a host
of issues, since project managers in both companies must coordinate with
each other while managing their own side of the implementation project. The
same can be true on the outgoing end, as well. Serving business customers
with just-in-time ordering systems can require the business to act as a just-intime supplier, filling orders frequently and automatically.
Employee Development
Implementing lean manufacturing methodologies in an existing business
creates a talent gap that must be crossed. The technological infrastructure
required to manage supply-chain issues while maintaining automated
production and quality control systems requires more-educated and trained
employees than traditional assembly line setups. Lean manufacturers require
highly skilled and educated employees to inspect, repair and design the
layout of automated production technology regularly. Technical employees
will likely require safety certifications and special licenses to operate and
maintain such systems, and they demand much higher compensation than
general-labor employees.
Cultural Issues
Going lean introduces a revolutionary shift in the way work is done in a
manufacturing organization. Implementing lean manufacturing requires a
smaller number of employees to take on a wider range of responsibilities,
blurring the lines between formal job descriptions. It involves a strict and
meaningful commitment to waste reduction, which can mean changing
employees' familiar work processes. It should involve reworking incentives
and bonus structures to reward behavior and ideas that reduce costs,
production time and waste. This requires true buy-in at all levels of a
company, from senior managers to front-line machine operators. Successfully
developing lean manufacturing processes requires true commitment from
everyone involved.
Technological Challenges
Lean manufacturing can require a significant upfront investment in
technology, from new production systems to statistical analysis software for
monitoring quality improvement on assembly lines. Choosing the right
systems is crucial for success as a lean manufacturer, since you will be
relying on your systems for the continued efficient operation of your
business. One of the tenets of lean business practices is to automate as much

as possible, making you more reliant on technology than you may have been
in the past.