Lean Manufacturing: How To Put Its
7 Principles To Work (Part 4)
By Bob Williamson, CMRP
CPMM, MIAM, Editor

To recap, this is the eighth in my ongoing series of columns with the following theme: “If there were ever a time to get serious about lean manufacturing, it’s now. The vision of doing more with less of everything may very well be the new reality in our upside-down, post-pandemic world.”

 

In my June 6, 2022, column, (see link below), I recommended a goal that RAM Pros can readily grasp: “Lean Equipment Management (LEM) for the most critical, most penalizing equipment-driven processes.” That, in turn,, begins with a business focus.
(Click Here To Read Bob's June 6, 2022 Column.)

 

Throughout this series relating to Lean Manufacturing and Lean Equipment Management, I’ve stressed the point that all of this is a “Focused Improvement Strategy,” NOT a Lean program or lean toolbox to implement in the hopes of improving performance. Why is that? Mostly because plants and facilities don't have sufficient resources to address ALL equipment problems. Resources generally exist for targeting specific problematic equipment bottlenecks in ways that help improve business performance in fast and sustainable manners.

 

Keep in mind that these are seven INTERDEPENDENT principles driven by and

measured by Principle #1. In a previous column (July 2, 2022), I discussed the driving force of LEM in that first principle: “Targeting the major causes of poor equipment performance.” I then listed 14 major equipment-related losses (causes of poor performance) with a goal of ZERO losses. Check it out. It works.

 

Here are some examples of LEM activities I’ve witnessed over the past 25 years or so, each designed to address one or more of the major losses in the equipment being targeted (i.e., Principle #1):

 

Principle #2: "Engaging operations personnel in caring for their equipment." Start of shift/end of shift inspections, routine filter changes, minor lubrication, fluid level checks, minor adjustments, weekly preventive maintenance, data collection, assisting maintenance technicians, etc. (Remember, the number one priority of an operator is to OPERATE the equipment, not to replace maintainers.)

 

Principle #3: "Improving maintenance efficiency & effectiveness." Periodic inspection/testing, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, spare parts management, work order management, standardized repair plans, detailed work instructions, etc.

 

Principle #4: "Training & qualifying to improve skills and knowledge." This includes assuring that everyone who touches the equipment (or makes decisions that affect it) is trained and qualified to perform their specific tasks, as specified by detailed work instructions.

 

Principle #5: "Improving equipment maintainability & maintenance prevention design." For new equipment, this incorporates maintainability and maintenance prevention designs. For existing equipment, this means modifying the equipment to make it easier to maintain and/or require less maintenance.

 

Principle #6: "Winning with leadership & teamwork focused on common goals." I had addressed this principle in the fourth installment of this series (June 20, 2022).

 

Principle #7: "Building a Lean Equipment Management culture." The cultural driver for this is simple and focused on the targeted equipment. Top management kicks off the LEM initiative and attends each major event. Their involvement is twofold: 1) They send the message, “This is important to our business.” and 2) We are all learning and deploying these LEM principles together.

 

One of the most dramatic examples of Principle #7 played out with one of my clients. The senior vice president and ALL decision-makers attended each LEM team meeting to address the targeted equipment.

 

The VP would always ask, “What are the business goals?” And the group would recite, “on time, lead time, and cost.” From that point on, all discussions, plans, actions, and reports pointed to those goals. That’s how you build a sustainable Lean Equipment Management culture.
(Click Here To Read This And All Previous Columns In This Series
On The RAM Review Website.)