Lean Stage 1
Stage 1 is about preparing for Lean. The full set of principles and techniques outlined in state 1 are applicable in all operations organisations, irrespective of size or volume. You should be active in all these areas. All are good common sense. They form the basis of manufacturing competitiveness.
Stage 2 is the set of principles and techniques for actually running operations in a Lean way. They build on the stage 1 set, and very often require some of the stage 1 techniques to be in place in order to minimise risk and maximise effectiveness. Most are applicable in every organisation, but some may be less applicable where volumes are low or variety is high.
The Stage 1 and Stage 2 concept is a guide to implementation. But it is not the intention that all stage 1 principles should be implemented before starting on stage 2. Rather, going Lean is an ongoing cyclic process of improvement. Actions in stage 1 allow actions in stage 2 which in turn allow further actions in stage 1, and so on. At any time, several stage 1 and stage 2 principles may be in the process of implementation or further improvement.
As an example, reducing set-up times (stage 1) allows buffers to be cut (stage 2), which could then mean opportunities for layout improvement (stage 1), thereby improving the opportunities for visibility and flow scheduling (stage 2), and so on. This emphasises that every time an improvement is made we should then look out for further improvements in other areas that have been made possible as a result. To do this, everyone must participate in identifying the opportunities. Many small improvements involving wide participation are more effective than a few big improvements put in by "experts" or outsiders, especially if these tend to disintegrate. When improvement is done effectively, year in year out, both within the plant and in its supply and distribution environment, the competitive advantage becomes enormous. Hence this guide to assist you in your journey.
