Andon System: Meaning, Colors, Cord and Worked Example
Learn what an andon system is, what the light colors mean, how the cord and board work, a worked example of downtime…
Theory of Constraints (TOC): Bottleneck, 5 Steps, Example
Learn the Theory of Constraints: what a bottleneck is, the five focusing steps, drum-buffer-rope and a worked example…
Standardized Work (Standard Work): How to Build It, Example
Learn standardized work in lean: takt time, work sequence, standard inventory, the three forms and a worked example w…
Hoshin Kanri: Strategy Deployment, Catchball and Example
Understand hoshin kanri: how to deploy strategy, catchball, the X-matrix and a worked example that cuts lead time fro…
ISO 9001 Implementation and Certification: A Step-by-Step Guide
ISO 9001 explained: clauses 4 to 10, step-by-step implementation, a gap analysis example, certification audits (stage…
Lean Office: How to Apply Lean to Administrative Processes
Lean office explained with an example: office wastes, touch time vs wait time, work-in-process limits, Little's…
Lean Healthcare: Patient Flow, Waste and How to Start
Lean healthcare explained with an example: patient flow, wait time vs care time, wastes in hospitals and clinics, and…
Muda, Mura, Muri: The 3 Ms of Lean Explained With Examples
Learn what muda, mura and muri mean in Lean: how they differ, how to spot each one, a worked weekly example with numb…
Genchi Genbutsu: Meaning, How to Practice It and an Example
Genchi genbutsu means going to the actual place to see the actual thing. Learn the meaning, how it differs from a gem…
Autonomous Maintenance: The 7 Steps of the TPM Pillar
Autonomous maintenance in TPM: what it is, who does what, the 7 steps in detail, an example cleaning standard with ti…
Poka-Yoke: Error-Proofing Examples, Types and How to Apply
Poka-yoke explained: what it is, control and warning types, shop floor examples, a worked example with the math and h…
SMED: Quick Changeover Steps, Examples and Benefits
SMED explained: internal and external setup, Shingo's steps, a worked example cutting a changeover from 60 to 20…
Takt Time: How to Calculate It, Formula and Worked Example
Learn how to calculate takt time with the formula, a worked example, takt vs cycle time and lead time, line balancing…
5 Whys: How to Do Root Cause Analysis, With Examples
Learn the 5 Whys for root cause analysis: steps, Ohno's example, a worked shop floor case, a template, common mi…
Gemba Walk: How to Do It, Steps, Questions and an Example
Learn what a gemba walk is and how to run one: step by step routine, a 60-minute worked example, questions that work,…
Toyota Production System: The 14 Principles Explained
Understand the Toyota Production System (TPS): the house with JIT and jidoka pillars, the 14 Toyota Way principles an…
Just-in-Time (JIT) Manufacturing: Definition and Example
Learn just-in-time manufacturing: definition, the three elements, a worked takt time and inventory example, JIT vs ju…
Heijunka: Production Leveling, Example and How to Do It
Learn heijunka: volume and mix leveling, a worked A, B and C example, the heijunka box, its link to SMED and kanban,…
Jidoka: Meaning, 4 Steps and Examples of Autonomation
Learn what jidoka is, its four steps, how it differs from poka-yoke and final inspection, with a worked cost example…
A3 Problem Solving: What It Is, Template and Example
Learn what an A3 report is, the sections of the sheet, how to fill one in step by step, and see a worked example with…
OEE: How to Calculate Overall Equipment Effectiveness
Learn how to calculate OEE with the formula, a worked one-shift example, the six big losses, what a good OEE score is…
5S Methodology: Step-by-Step Guide to Implementation
Learn the 5S methodology: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. Step-by-step rollout, red tag example, aud…
Kanban System: How Pull Production Works, with Example
Learn how a kanban system works in manufacturing: the pull loop with a supermarket, production and withdrawal kanbans…
Lean Manufacturing: Definition, Principles and Examples
Learn what lean manufacturing is: the 5 principles, the 8 wastes, core tools and a worked lead time example showing h…
Kaizen: Meaning, Examples and How to Implement It
Learn what kaizen is and how to apply continuous improvement: principles, daily kaizen vs kaizen events, PDCA, a work…
TPM: Total Productive Maintenance, 6 Big Losses and Pillars
Learn what TPM (total productive maintenance) is: the six big losses, the 8 pillars, autonomous maintenance and a wor…
Six Sigma DMAIC: Definition, Phases and Sigma Level Formula
Learn what Six Sigma is and how DMAIC works, with a worked example: DPU, DPMO and sigma level formulas, a conversion…
Value Stream Mapping (VSM): How to Map, Steps and Example
Learn value stream mapping with a worked example: current state map, lead time, takt time, process cycle efficiency,…
PDCA Cycle: What It Is, the 4 Steps and a Worked Example
Understand the PDCA cycle with a manufacturing example: the four steps, how to set a goal, check against a control gr…
8 Wastes of Lean (DOWNTIME): Examples and How to Remove Them
The 8 wastes of Lean (DOWNTIME) with shop floor examples, causes and fixes, plus a worked 20-minute cycle example and…
MRP: how to calculate material requirements, with an example
Learn MRP with a worked example: bill of materials, gross and net requirements, lead time offsetting and planned orde…
Kanban card calculation: formula and worked example
Learn how to calculate the number of kanban cards with N = D × LT × (1 + α) ÷ C, a worked example, maximum inventory…
Break-even point: how to calculate it, with example and chart
Learn to calculate the break-even point in units and revenue, the contribution margin and the margin of safety, with…
Learning curve: formula, example and how to use it
Understand the 80% learning curve, the formula Tn = T1 × n^b, a worked example from unit 1 to 16, the chart and where…
Queuing theory: the M/M/1 model with a worked example
Learn queuing theory with the M/M/1 model: arrival and service rates, utilization, customers in queue, waiting time a…
P-chart: attribute control chart with a worked example
Learn to build a p-chart for proportion defective: UCL and LCL formulas, an example with 20 samples of 100 parts and…
Gauge R&R and MSA: how to evaluate a measurement system
Understand MSA and Gauge R&R: repeatability, reproducibility, how to run the study, the %GRR calculation, the 10%…
AQL sampling: how to use the ISO 2859-1 table
Learn AQL sampling step by step: lot size, inspection level, code letter, sample size, Ac and Re numbers and normal,…
First pass yield and RTY: how to calculate them
Learn to calculate first pass yield (FPY) and rolled throughput yield (RTY) with a three-step example, the hidden fac…
Cost of quality: the PAF model with an example
Understand the cost of quality and the PAF model: prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure, a $200,000 mo…
ABC inventory analysis: how to classify your stock items
Learn ABC inventory analysis with a 10-item example: annual value, cumulative percentage, A, B and C classes, and how…
Time study: how to calculate standard time with an example
Learn time study step by step: readings, performance rating, normal time, allowances, standard time, number of cycles…
Production capacity: utilization and efficiency explained
Understand design capacity, effective capacity and actual output, how to calculate utilization and efficiency with an…
Demand forecasting: moving average and exponential smoothing
Learn demand forecasting with an example: 3-month moving average, exponential smoothing with alpha 0.3, MAD forecast…
MTBF and MTTR: how to calculate key maintenance metrics
Learn to calculate MTBF, MTTR and availability with a worked example, understand how MTBF differs from MTTF, and see…
Job sequencing rules: FIFO, SPT and EDD compared
Compare the FIFO, SPT and EDD job sequencing rules with a 4-job example, Gantt charts, average flow time, total tardi…
Facility layout types: the 4 layouts and when to use each
Learn the facility layout types: fixed-position, process, cellular and product layout, the volume and variety matrix,…
The 7 basic quality tools: what they are and how to use them
Learn the 7 basic quality tools with examples: check sheet, stratification, histogram, Pareto chart, fishbone diagram…
5W2H action plan: how to build one, with an example
Build a 5W2H action plan with a filled-in example, the 7 questions, step by step, how it connects to PDCA and the fis…
SIPOC diagram: how to build one, with an example
Learn how to build a SIPOC diagram with a plastic injection molding example, what each letter means, the steps, when…
Lead time: what it is, how to calculate it and how to cut it
Lead time from order to delivery explained: types of lead time, a worked calculation, Little's Law, lead time vs…
Critical path method (CPM) and PERT: a worked example
Learn the critical path method and PERT with a worked example: activity network, early and late start and finish, tot…
NPV, IRR and payback: how to evaluate an investment
Learn to calculate NPV, IRR and simple and discounted payback with a worked example, decision rules, Excel formulas a…
Linear programming and the simplex method: a worked example
Understand linear programming with a product-mix example: model, constraints, graphical method, simplex, optimal solu…
Cp and Cpk: how to calculate process capability
Understand Cp and Cpk with a worked example, centered vs shifted processes, what a Cpk of 1.33 means, the link to PPM…
FMEA: what it is, how to do it and how to calculate RPN
Learn FMEA step by step: severity, occurrence and detection, how to calculate the RPN, an example FMEA table, AIAG-VD…
Fishbone diagram (Ishikawa): how to build one with the 6Ms
Learn how to build a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram with the 6Ms, a real injection molding flash example, and how it con…
Pareto chart: what it is, the 80/20 rule and how to make one
Learn how to make a Pareto chart with a defect example, cumulative percentage, Juran's 80/20 rule and how to use…
Assembly line balancing: how to calculate it with takt time
Learn how to balance a production line with takt time, the minimum number of workstations, task assignment, line effi…
Industry 4.0 in manufacturing: technologies and how to start
Understand Industry 4.0: its origins, the technology pillars, a real-time OEE example, how it relates to Lean and a 5…
Statistical process control (SPC): how to use control charts
SPC on the shop floor: common vs. special causes, choosing the right control chart, calculating X-bar and R limits, a…
Production planning and control: MPS, MRP and scheduling explained
Production planning and control in practice: planning levels, S&OP, the master production schedule, an MRP exampl…
Inventory management: reorder point, safety stock and EOQ
How to calculate reorder point, safety stock and economic order quantity, with a worked example, ABC analysis, turns,…
Lean vs. Six Sigma: What Are the Practical Differences
Understand the differences between Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma, when to use each methodology on its own, and why ma…
Visual Management: How to Use Boards and Metrics on the Shop Floor
Understand the principles of visual management, the most common board types (production, metrics, 5S), and how to avoid …