Lean manufacturing is a powerful methodology that helps businesses to improve their efficiency, reducing waste and identifying issues in their processes and systems. As a business owner, it is important to question whether you Challenge Your Lean Thinking, utilizing the resources available as well as some lean supplies to create vast organizational improvements.
When getting used to lean manufacturing methodology, many businesses initially encounter various challenges.
Here are some of the most common problems faced by businesses so you can become aware of them and avoid making the same mistakes.
Problem: A lot of business owners find they have to battle cultural resistance, dealing with employees who do not like change and resist the new processes, reverting to the practices that they are familiar with.
Solution: From the offset, strong communication is a necessity. Spending time speaking with employees about the benefits of any new lean manufacturing implementations, and highlighting how this can help make their duties easier, will help create a culture that embraces the improvement and takes a sense of ownership in their work.
Problem: If insufficient training on lean manufacturing is not given, or the tools needed to carry out the job are not provided, this can hinder the implementation process and even create hazards in the workplace.
Solution: Providing a thorough training session to all employees will provide everyone with the knowledge and skills they need to adapt to the changes. This information should be communicated to everyone on site and extra resources should be provided to equip everyone with the things they need.
Problem: Even if short-term success is achieved, continuing to implement changes that lead to improvements may be challenging for some businesses, failing to keep up with the processes and reverting to old ways.
Solution: Before beginning, performance metrics should be decided on and these KPIs should be regularly reviewed to keep track of changes, creating a set of data that can become invaluable to track successes.
Problem: Once changes have been made and the dust has settled, it is common for business owners to leave it at that, defeating the purpose of lean manufacturing principles.
Solution: Since lean manufacturing is all about continuous improvement, it is essential to carry out regular reviews, analyze new and old systems and listen to employee suggestions regularly.
Problem: For employees who are set in their ways or don’t believe in the new changes, resistance to standardization can cause organization-wide issues as consistency is needed.
Solution: Involving employees in developing new lean manufacturing methodologies and listening to their opinions can help prevent resistance. With standardization being such a key aspect of lean manufacturing, a helpful approach is to emphasize the benefits of consistency across the business, speeding up working and managing workloads.
Problem: Poor communication from those looking to implement lean manufacturing methodologies is bound to create problems as employees may be confused and thus make mistakes.
Solution: By educating management across all departments about the new lean manufacturing processes and the way it is expected to change the organization’s daily activities, they can be implemented more smoothly as managers can provide the support and guidance needed.
Additional Resources
- Lean Manufacturing [Techniques, Solutions & Free Guide]– creativesafetysupply.com
- Overcoming the Challenges of Implementing Kaizen– lean-news.com
- Overcoming Challenges in Kaizen Implementation: Strategies for Success– iecieeechallenge.org
- The 5S Methodology: Organizing and Standardization in Lean Manufacturing– realsafety.org
- Kaizen Leadership: The Role of Managers in Driving Continuous Improvement– kaizen-news.com
- Overcoming Opposition During LEAN Deployment– blog.creativesafetysupply.com
- Value Stream Mapping: Streamlining Processes in Lean Manufacturing– creativesafetypublishing.com
- Six Sigma: Driving Quality and Efficiency in Organizational Success– babelplex.com
- What is the difference between 5S and Kaizen?– 5snews.com