Lean is truly about “the elimination of waste.” In other words, it is about making the best use of your resources.
To do this well, you must learn how to manage the relationship between people and machines in work cells.
Many organizations divide up machines in such a way that it causes operators to be isolated from each other and from other operations in the value stream. This reduces the opportunity to make the most out of your manpower.
When operators work in a “process island” like this–tied to a machine–they are unable to ask for help, receive help, or give help to others effectively.
But when you bring adjacent processes together into a lean work cell it becomes very possible to leverage your labor more effectively.
It also results in a work sequence that is more satisfying because operators get learn additional skills and see a larger section of the value stream than one isolated process.
Teach Everyone to Eliminate Waste and Practice Kaizen
Discover more about making the most of your people and resources in our courses The 7 Wastes of Lean and Kaizen Best Practices–both mentioned in this video.
Discover The Lean Smarts Academy
Make all your lean training experiences easy, enjoyable, and accessible on-demand at the Lean Smarts Academy.