Lean manufacturing and Automation

Automation is a word used with lean manufacturing constantly. Many lean followers seem to think automation is essential for the success in their lean journey. Yes, they are right. In the process of continuous improvement organizations can simplify their processes using automation. This can save extra effort and improve accuracy of work done.

A traditional organization can go for automation for several reasons. Among those reasons maximizing their capacities, reduction of errors in the process, stay in the cutting edge of technology and to replace some of the work force are few. Although automation can bring result in any of these instances in short term, in long term this can work against you if it is done without a clear objective.

Automation should be aligned to your organizational objectives. Automation for the sake of automation will not be of any use. For an example if you can complete a task with a worker for $10 a day with a satisfactory quality, is there a point of buying a $10,000 machine to carry out that task. I cannot answer that question, since it depends on your requirement. If you want a better control over your product quality, or if you want to smoothen the production flow perhaps it will make sense to automate that task. But if you are looking to save some cost or to be with the latest technology this might not help since it will not only require larger capital expenditure, it also requires trained people to use this machine, it requires maintenance and power.

In the lean context automation will be aligned to drive out waste from the process. Kaizen, or the continuous improvement might be the best way to automate tasks in a lean organization. This will not require huge amount of capital nor will it require experts to use the machinery. Simple step by automation is the way of making your system work. Toyota is well known for this type of automation. Generally in lean context automation is never done to get read of people. One of the main pillars of house of lean is the “respect for human”.

Automation can increase the efficiency of your process and increase the quality but if you do not build a good mistake proof mechanism into it, automation can become very dangerous. Mistakes will take place “automatically”. For an example you may automate purchasing process by sending purchase orders to your vendors automatically when you trigger the requirement for raw material. But you will end up with large inventory if existing raw material stocks are not properly maintained in the system due to some data maintenance error. It is important to understand while tightly automated system can make your system much more efficient, it can make your system venerable if all the exceptions are not taken care of and if pokayoke (mistake proofing techniques) is not followed.

One of my earlier post called “go for the simpler not for the perfect solution” caught attention of many. This suggested to me most of the organization think complex automation and software can solve their problems and they get into more trouble since they do not question their own processes and correct the problems. Remember automation will mean nothing if your process is not designed nor it requires this.