Comments on: The Power of the Heijunka http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275 A blog about improvement in health care Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:13:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Leslie http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-6831 Leslie Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:44:25 +0000 http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-6831 I am conducting a kaizen event at a manufacturing job shop plant where bottlenecks are occuring in the machining shop. I had the idea of implementing a heijunka box process with the ultimate result being FIFO lanes which would eliminate the waste of waiting and scheduling delays. My company loved the idea and they want me to create a cost benefit analysis for the savings. The only problem is that I'm unsure on how to begain the implementation process on paper let alone in the facility. I am conducting a kaizen event at a manufacturing job shop plant where bottlenecks are occuring in the machining shop. I had the idea of implementing a heijunka box process with the ultimate result being FIFO lanes which would eliminate the waste of waiting and scheduling delays. My company loved the idea and they want me to create a cost benefit analysis for the savings. The only problem is that I’m unsure on how to begain the implementation process on paper let alone in the facility.

]]> By: Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Management Improvement Carnival #9 http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-2386 Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Management Improvement Carnival #9 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:35:48 +0000 http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-2386 [...] The Power of the Heijunka by Lee Fried - “Each day the team now meets to discuss improvement opportunities. All work is visible and loaded in one hour increments with the work rule that everyone will stay until the work is done. Batches are smaller, productivity is way up, inventory is way down and quality is up in each area.” [...] [...] The Power of the Heijunka by Lee Fried - “Each day the team now meets to discuss improvement opportunities. All work is visible and loaded in one hour increments with the work rule that everyone will stay until the work is done. Batches are smaller, productivity is way up, inventory is way down and quality is up in each area.” [...]

]]> By: Lee Fried http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-2374 Lee Fried Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:17:52 +0000 http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-2374 Hi Pete, Thanks for the catch you are correct the Heijunka is used to level production. Our software teams are also applying Agile and our initial pilots have shown great success. For the first time we are able to estimate with reliability how long it will take to develop software enhancements. Ted, the co-writer of this blog has been leading much of this work. Thanks for writing, Lee Hi Pete,

Thanks for the catch you are correct the Heijunka is used to level production. Our software teams are also applying Agile and our initial pilots have shown great success. For the first time we are able to estimate with reliability how long it will take to develop software enhancements. Ted, the co-writer of this blog has been leading much of this work.

Thanks for writing,

Lee

]]> By: Pete Abilla http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-2373 Pete Abilla Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:10:06 +0000 http://www.dailykaizen.org/archives/275#comment-2373 Do you mean "level production", instead of "demand"? After all, heijunka is about leveling production, since demand is really not in our control. But, what is in our control is our ability to triage, prioritize the work that enters our queue, then we pull from that queue as an item leaves the queue. In Agile, this is better known as "backlog", where software features are created on cards, then placed in a backlog area on a whiteboard. Those cards are later sized and prioritized and pulled from the backlog and assigned to an iteration. That is the software manifestation of heijunka. In software and non-software cases, however, heijunka aims to level production, not demand. Do you mean “level production”, instead of “demand”? After all, heijunka is about leveling production, since demand is really not in our control. But, what is in our control is our ability to triage, prioritize the work that enters our queue, then we pull from that queue as an item leaves the queue.

In Agile, this is better known as “backlog”, where software features are created on cards, then placed in a backlog area on a whiteboard. Those cards are later sized and prioritized and pulled from the backlog and assigned to an iteration. That is the software manifestation of heijunka.

In software and non-software cases, however, heijunka aims to level production, not demand.

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