Lean Manufacturing Tools

Abstract

This chapter is focused on the more visible part of JIT, providing a detailed description of a set of basic lean manufacturing tools for a successful JIT implementation. The Lean tools explored in this chapter are: 5S, Standardized Work, SMED—Single Minute Exchange of Die, and Kanban System. The chapter is enriched with a case study used to explain the application of the Lean manufacturing tools in practice. Many examples of practical applications and some worksheets are incorporated to help managers in the implementation issues. In general, for each tool a detailed description of the tool and of its elements is presented. Next, the requirements for its implementation are elaborated. Afterwards, the implementation issues are explained, followed by a demonstration of the practical application of the tool in a case study company and an exposition of the results achieved.