After acquiring information about the Lean Production System (LPS), almost every manager is seized by the thought that they must apply this system in the operation immediately. As you also follow from the articles on the site, the LPS is a production model made up of many modules, in which all losses have disappeared and which runs smoothly. In the final analysis, the system aims to increase efficiency and profitability. The LPS is an ideal system that can produce these results as a consequence of every one of its elements being applied at the highest level.
We stated in previous articles that the transition to the LPS is an important change and that this change must be managed very carefully. Whatever the subject, in order to carry the change through, the transition process must be managed within a plan and with patience.
At this point I want to touch on the concept of "wholeness." Every system is made up, within itself, of a large number of elements. These elements are in interaction with one another. Looked at one by one, the elements and the interactions appear as simple structures. Because the system is the sum of these elements, it in fact contains a complexity. Interactions lie at the foundation of the complexity. A great many of the interactions have a hidden character that is not easily noticed. In this case, when a change is made in the smallest element of the system, the one that seems unimportant, the whole system is affected, both in foreseeable and in unforeseeable ways. Because of the complexity of the system, it can take time for this effect (these effects) to appear. (Delay Factor) In order to create a lasting change in the system, the change has to be carried out in all the elements of the system. For this reason, in every change project, the principle of Wholeness (holistic) must be kept in view.
Since the system is this complex, it is not possible to bring all the elements and their interactions, all at once, to a new and different state. For this reason, the opening move in the change project, and the first steps that follow it, must be chosen very carefully. Choosing the opening step well is very important for the success of the later steps. The opening step must be chosen so that it can create a direct or an indirect effect on all the elements of the system. This corresponds to the "leverage" point we know from physics lessons.
The opening step required, the leverage point, may be different for every system. For this reason, before LPS transition work begins, the system should be put through a "check-up." Before an important move toward change, it is very important to know what condition the system is in. The better this starting condition is analyzed, the more accurately the opening moves can be chosen.
Along with the opening moves, the initial review that will be carried out is also important for the LPS from the point of view of setting a target. While the process can be completed within one year at one factory, at another operation it may take two years or even three years. At the end of the initial review the current state is set out clearly, and realistic targets can be set for the change project.
It will be more beneficial if the management review to be carried out at the beginning is performed by taking a consultancy service. The structure of the system can be determined more realistically by eyes that are outside the system. And a realistic plan can be prepared accordingly.
Let us not forget that the system you live inside did not reach its condition of today in a few days. The current state came into being as the result of efforts and work lasting for years. The ideal LPS transition you are aiming for will take time in a similar way. From our previous articles, you remember the perception of "threat" that change creates. The system we are in is, over the years, like a child we have raised with care. We need to find a way to carry out the change with the same care and the same patience, without wearing it down.
According to our experience, in many operations the result of the initial review is that problems related to the processes of the operation's functions come to the fore. (Purchasing, Logistics, Production Planning, Maintenance, and so on.) We frequently encounter processes that have not been defined well enough and have not been standardized. Alongside this, the interactions of the processes with one another have also been ignored most of the time.
On this basis, we can say that the first step for the LPS should be to start the work of creating process maps, of clarifying the interactions between processes, and of standardizing the processes. While there are problems related to the basic functional processes, moving on to the first steps of the LPS — for example, starting a "Value Stream Analysis" study — can cause some confusion and some delay.
In our later articles we will continue to give information about process maps and the other steps.
M. Fatih Sütçüler