Lean for Apparel Industry - Part 1

As promised, my friend has sent me the first article on lean for apparel industry. As I always say, he also starts from 5S. Please read the article. If you like the article, tell the world by clicking on the LIKE button below.

5S is foundation for Lean

 If a company wants be a world class organization that company should drives and achieve below characteristics.

•      Zero Down time

•      Zero Waste

•      Zero Missed Opportunity

•      Zero Bureaucracy

•      Zero “Hidden” Problems

To approach to this stage the path or main way is 5s.

5s Define as The Philosophy that lays the Foundation to create a Disciplined Mind, Which leads to disciplined thoughts which leads to Disciplined Actions – Action which improves Productivity, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Safety, Moral & innovation.

Why we need 5s?

1. Get EVRY BODY’S Involvement at EVERY LEVEL

          - 5S is the activity that each person works on part

          - 5S is the activity that all members’ participation is possible

          - Participative Actions – Huge Results

2. Creates a Pleasant, Safe and work friendly environment

3. Builds a Visual Work Place with Standard Work 

4.Taking ownership of what the team members are doing

           My machine  ->        my area    ->    my dept    ->   my company

5. Develops Kaizen Minded People

6. Strengthens Team Work, develops Leadership of all levels, reduces internal conflicts

7. Reduces physical & psychological stress of all employees

8. Reduces the resistance to change

9. Reduces hierarchal mindset and bureaucracy at work place

10. Unmasks the hidden organization

But most of the companies failed in implementation of 5s because of below reasons.

1. We implement 5S not “Practice” 5S
2. 5S implemented as “Look @ US” campaigns
3. It’s designed to impress visitors, buyers
4. 5S is implemented to win competitions than real improvement, after winning the competition no clear path forward
5. 5S campaign itself becomes the goal
6. Lack of vision and missing link to the company vision & Hoshin
7. Lack of Top Management support
8. Misunderstanding of driving 5S through delegation than the Site Leader on the saddle
9. Under estimating the power of 5S in team building
10. Most of mistaken with Housekeeping, forgets housekeeping is just a part\the pilot process of the whole journey which gives real time feedback on the plant culture and kick off of 5S
11. Depending on Audits to sustain, more on pointing out than problem solving – “Here let us help you to keep this straight”

To eliminate these failure factors first we have to identify where we stands on.

That we can recognize going through the below categories.

1.    Objective

2.    Thinking

3.    Action

4.    Responsibility

5.    Result

Based on these categories we can compare the where we stands really.

Category	Traditional Thinking	New 5s thinking
Objective	Discipline	Profit Pursuit
Thinking	Sustain	Sustain & kaizen
Action	Operate	Counter Measure
Responsibility	Spot Worker	All The Members
Result	Production\Service Support	Improve PSQDCM

P-Productivity

S-Safety

D-Delivery

C-Cost

M-Morale

  10 Principles for implementing 5S

1. Never let the 5S process itself become the goal. Keep in mind your true goal is achieving business excellence.
2. To keep your process from getting bogged down, first get rid of all excess work in progress. If you setup and maintain a cellular concept flow will be created.
3. Consider excess inventory as a major unneeded item to target.
4. Everyone needs to be responsible for picking up “waste” including top management – no observers\no delegation – you do it first.
5. Clerical & administrative departments should also be setup in U shaped cells to provide observable 5S example.
6. No “no man’s land” within the premises.
7. Continued commitment & support from the top management to follow PDCA.
8. All employees must be trained – human knowledge appreciates.
9. Set KPI’s & include 5S to performance evaluating criteria. Concrete headed people to be exposed, others rewarded – stress individual participation.
10. Never Ever Walk by an Unsafe Act or Condition.

Challenge1 – Sort – “Seiri”

Objective:- Identify and collate unwanted items, activities and Thoughts(ATTRACT)

        Question:- What “SORT” of actions we need?

        Actions:-

•      Red Tagging – every red tag has a why? Why? Analysis

•      Quarantine Area for Red Tagged items

•      Form Team Based Work Groups

•      Financially cumulating the value of the items in Red tag area

•      Disposal Policy & Scrap sales

•      Lay the foundation for PROCESS MAPPING to get rid of unwanted activities

•      ECRS ( eliminate, combine, rearrange, Separate)

•      Identify Losses & DT’s

•      Pick and Choose Supportive Tools

•      Identify “Loss Based” Skill Will Matrix – ETHOS Pillar

•      Training Plan on the philosophy

•      Untapped human Potential

Why do unnecessary items accumulate?

1. Sudden changes in the sales, production plan
2. Excessive ordering
3. Incorrect ordering
4. Lack of quality control
5. Lack of quantity control
6. Improper storage locations & methods
7. Duplicated ordering & delivering
8. Aged, obsolete equipment, material, methods
9. Improper handling – Forced deterioration
10. Uncontrolled growth

Challenge2 – Set In Order – “Seiton”

Objective:- Locate a specific place for a specific item with the specific quantity, near to the place where it’s needed – improved material & information flow(DEVELOP)

     Question:- What actions should “SET IN”?

     Actions:-

•       Team based work groups “engage” in counter measures for the identified opportunities from the Process Map

•       Start analyzing the Material and Information flow - VSM

•       Set in order the standards of the admin areas

•       Set in order the standards of the processes – min\max, TIMWOOD

•       Set in order the standards for the people

•       Set in order a Visual factory to surface problems

•       Quick Change Over story boards

•       Create OPL’s for training on the set in standards

•       Build Upon the Culture of Problem Solving – Why? Why?, plans to train every one on problem solving tools

•       Assessment team with a “How can I help you?” mindset

•       Set in order a system to prevent SEIRI.

7 Seiton Principles

1. Follow the FIFO method for material
2.  Assign each item a dedicated location
3.  All items & their locations should be identified by systematic labeling
4. Place items so that they are visible to minimize searching time(frequently used, sometimes used, not used but must be kept)
5. Place items so that agronomical conditions are addressed and can be handled easily
6. Separate “Exclusive” from common
7. Arrange the work place to cater flow – “Flow when you can, Pull when you can’t”

Challenge3 – Shine – “Seiso”

Objective:- Cleaning\Continuous Inspection with a Meaning(ENGAGE)

          Question:- How to “Shine”?

          Actions:-

•       Cross check OPL’s, continue creating the OPLs

•       Establish Standards for CLIT

•       Train team members on using the 5 Senses

•       Provide specific tools for specified cleanings

•       Establish cleaning schedules

•       Address points of contamination – Error proofing

•       Enable hard to access areas

•       Fuguai Tagging system

•       Slowly build in The JH Pillar of TPM

•       TPM Story Board

•       PM:AM ratio

•       Lay the foundation for KK Pillar – PDCA

•       “Don’t Clean Keep it Clean” Culture

•       “I run, I Maintain” attitude

•       Start  training team members according to the skill matrix

•       Seiton Preventions, kaizens

Challenge4 – Standardize – “Seiketsu”

     Objective:- Consolidate Efforts, Set platform for Raising Kaizens(ENGAGE)

     Question:- What should be the standard?

     Actions:-

•       Establish the agreed upon best method

•       Auditing & training to meet standard work

•       Establish SOPs

•       Establish revised KPI’s, targets for those who achieved

•       Start job rotation to pre-condition team members mindset, multi skilling – kick off E&T Pillar aggressively

•       Standards to reduce cost

•       “I run I maintain”  attitude to “We run We maintain”

•       Turn most visual displays to visual management

•       Platform to Error proof, innovate

•        Establish Early Management System to prevent shine

•       “Never, ever walk by an Unsafe Act”

•       Establish the Lean Org Structure to support VA layer

Challenge5 – Sustain – “Shitsuke”

Objective:- INSPIRE

     Actions:-

•       Establish the human system model for the plant

•       Servant Leadership

•       Aggressive catch ball on the Hoshin – Bottom up

•       Elements of coaching and Job Instruction training for new employees to shorten the mindset change

•       One system, one voice, one company, one vision

To be continued………….