In this third and last post on the Fendt Cabin Plant in Asbach-Bäumenheim, I will look in great detail at their digital dashboards as well as their excellent blue collar–driven continuous improvement process. I believe that true excellence can be achieved only through fast front-line improvement driven by the operators, and Fendt in Asbach-Bäumenheim is a good example of where it worked. As shown in my previous post, this plant has an outstanding performance, and the improvement system is the key driver for that. Read on!
Kaizen
(EN) Kaizen: Hoshin Kanri, Bowler Charts, Action Plans, and More
In my last two posts I described bowler charts, named due to their similarity to the score charts used for bowling. In this post I want to talk a bit more how the bowler chart fits in the big picture… or, if you will, how the big picture can use a bowler chart.
This will be a big picture on kaizen improvement. First you need your true north, which allows you to set your overarching targets (e.g., in a hoshin kanri). To reach the overarching targets in the hoshin kanri, you need practical problem solving, A3s, or an Action plan to make actual improvements toward your overarching goals. Underlying all of this is of course the PDCA. But, let me show you in more detail:
(EN) The Bowler Chart—Caveats and Improvements
The bowler chart, or bowling chart, is a table that is used to track the progress of an improvement project, deliverable, or task. Its name comes from the high similarity to the bowling score sheets that are used to track the progress during a bowling game. In my last post I also explained possible pitfalls with the owner, the projects, and the numeric target. This post continues with more caveats on target progression and the use of color, before suggesting a possible improvement to make the progress even more visual. (Spoiler: Use a diagram!). But, read on…
(EN) The Bowler Chart—Tracking Your Projects
Hoshin Kanri (or „policy management“ in English) is a way to manage the objectives of both you and your people and also align these objectives with the overall goals and directions of the company. One possible and useful companion document to track the progress of these objectives throughout the year is the bowler chart, or bowling chart. In general, this chart can be used to track the progress of an improvement project. Let me give you an introduction to bowler charts.
Kaizen durch Wachstum Ihrer Mitarbeiter
Wie ich bereits in meinem letzten Beitrag erwähnt habe, erfolgt die kontinuierliche Verbesserung (Kaizen) durch Menschen, idealerweise nahe am Arbeitsplatz. Sie sollten immer nach Menschen Ausschau halten, die sich entwickeln und wachsen können, da sie ihrerseits Ihre kontinuierliche Verbesserung fördern. Auch wenn es wirklich schwer ist, spezifische Empfehlungen zu geben, die für alle gelten, möchte ich ein wenig über das Thema nachdenken.
Wer macht Kaizen?
Ein zentraler Aspekt der schlanken Produktion ist die kontinuierliche Verbesserung, im Japanischen Kaizen genannt. Dieses Konzept legt den Schwerpunkt auf kontinuierliche, schrittweise Verbesserungen von Prozessen, Produkten und Dienstleistungen. Dennoch gibt es häufig Unterschiede zwischen der Art und Weise, wie Toyota Kaizen durchführt, und der Art und Weise, wie der Rest der Welt Kaizen durchführt. Diese beziehen sich hauptsächlich darauf, wer die meisten Kaizen-Aktivitäten durchführt. In westlichen Unternehmen wird Kaizen in der Regel vom Management vorangetrieben. Bei Toyota werden die meisten Verbesserungen in den Werkstätten durchgeführt. Lassen Sie mich das erklären…
(EN) Keep Calm and Stop the Line—Part 2
In manufacturing, a common sentiment is that the line (or generally the process) must run. There is some truth to that, but—counterintuitively—for a system to run well you need to know when to stop it too. This is my second post in a series giving you an overview on when it may be better to stop the line rather than keeping it running (and making everything worse). Keep on reading!
(EN) Different Ways to Do Kaizen
Kaizen (改善), or continuous improvement, is a cornerstone of lean manufacturing. If you stop becoming better, you will fall behind. But not all improvement activities are equal. There are different ways to do kaizen projects suitable for different situations. Let me give you an overview: