A Kaizen Workshop

The Production Manager at a small manufacturer of temperature sensors knew that there was no flow to his operations. He had the capability to make right-sized, rapidly prototyped equipment in his own shop ("Moonshining"), but everyone on the floor was married to working at their own workbench and getting things done in batches. His operation was in the stereotypical "Job Shop" mode. Here are some of the highligts of the workshop that focused on creating a layout that would enable better flow. A team of motivated personnel from the shop floor was formed – some with experience in the process, others knew less. They were supported by a consultant (yours truly, Fred Harriman), the Production Manager himself, along with maintenance and engineering staff. The team began under the watchful eyes of the Management, who were well aware of the objectives, but it was the team and the support staff who studied and improved the process.

BEFORE KAIZEN This is what we started with. No line. Material was zigzagging from bench to bench. People sat and batched. Note the large hood against the wall. This vented an epoxy potting machine. Un-cured epoxy can be found everywhere in the facility... why vent only here?	IDENTIFYING THE CORRECT SEQUENCE First things first. What is the sequence for building the product? Things should flow, not zigzag. Each Post-it note is a process (a task). The team lined them up in the correct order for four product families. THEN they looked at the layout.
RIGHT-SIZED EQUIPMENT Right-sized equipment made in-house. That's one of the secrets to building a new line that will make the product well and avoid investment in expensive equipment that has unnecessary features. The team knew that new equipment was available to them for minor costs. That gave them the freedom to THINK ABOUT THE PRODUCT AND ITS MANUFACTURING PROCESS FIRST.	BOLD MEASURES Whether or not venting was necessary, the hood was up against the wall and blocking our space around the line. Operators need to stay in the center, and maintenance and material delivery need to access from the outside. The team took bold action and removed the hood and duct. Where will it go? They didn't know yet, but it had to be taken out of the way.

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