Implementing lean manufacturing - Names Vs FunctionsImplementing lean manufacturing is a challenging task. People do not want to change. One reason makes implementing lean manufacturing in any organization doubly difficult is the language you use to communicate the process. When I say language I am not talking about English and Spanish. I am talking about the terms used in lean manufacturing like poka yoke, kanban etc. I won’t be surprised to see you laughing now. But it is of very high importance to understand the mentality of the people when it comes new terms and processes. New processes and changes make people to resist. Why we should use words they can not understand and make them more frustrated. On the other hand what Poka Yoke means to your employees (of cause if you are not Japanese). Nothing isn’t it? How about using a word like Mistake proofing or Error Proofed organization. It at least gives your organization a meaningful name to the process. But I believe it is much more efficient to use an existing word in your organization and use it with a different meaning. For an example you might have a zero defects movement. Then with lean manufacturing you can use the same word but to make a mistake proofed environment. In other words you implement Poka Yoke techniques with the name of “Zero Defects”. What are the benefits you have? People will not resist doing changes to the existing process than implementing a completely new process. This will mean something to your employees than Japanese or other fancy words. These are simple things we should think about when we implement lean manufacturing. Although simple, these kinds of changes can make the difference of being a success or a failure. |
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No lean No Pain | Lean manufacturing and buyer's responsibility | HR contribution in lean manufacturing |
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