Unit 01: LO 3 - 3.3 - Continuous improvement process

1. Generally if something is Working, keep using that system

2. If you Notice that there is an annoying step in the process or one day you have an epiphany (realisation) that something could be done better

3. Plan to do something different (this could take seconds/days/weeks, etc.)

4. Change what you are doing

5. Test it and implement or rollback (use old way)

6. Then repeat

Single-piece flow is a bit like a conveyor belt at a sushi restaurant, where each plate of sushi comes to you one at a time, instead of a big pile all at once. Here's how it works:

1. Imagine a Factory:

• Think of a factory where they make things, like cars or toys. In traditional factories, they often make a lot of things at once, like many cars all in a row.

2. Single-Piece Flow:

• Now, in single-piece flow, instead of making many things at the same time, they make just one thing at a time, like one car or one toy.

3. Focus on One Thing:

• It's a bit like when you're doing homework. Instead of trying to finish all your subjects at once, you focus on one subject and complete it before moving to the next.

4. No Waiting:

• When things are made one at a time, there's no waiting. It's like when you're in a line for a roller coaster, and you get on the ride as soon as it's your turn. You don't have to wait for the whole group to finish.

5. Fewer Mistakes:

• Making one thing at a time helps reduce mistakes. It's easier to pay attention to detail and get everything just right, like making sure every piece of sushi is perfect.

6. Faster Response:

• If something goes wrong or needs to be changed, it's easier to fix when you're making just one thing. It's like changing your plans for the day when something unexpected comes up. It's faster and easier.

7. Better Quality:

• When things are made one at a time, they often end up being of higher quality because there's more attention to detail. It's like writing a story one sentence at a time; each sentence can be just right.

8. Less Inventory:

• In traditional factories, they often have a lot of things waiting to be finished. In single-piece flow, there's less stuff waiting around, which can save space and money.

So, single-piece flow is all about doing things step by step, one at a time, to make sure everything is done well and quickly, just like enjoying sushi plates that come to you one by one on a conveyor belt.

Imagine you have a favorite video game, and you want to switch from playing one game to another as quickly as possible. SMED is like having a superpower that helps you change games really fast. Here's how it works:

1. What is SMED?

• SMED stands for "Single-Minute Exchange of Die." But don't worry, it doesn't mean it always takes just one minute; it means it's super quick!

2. Example with Video Games:

• Imagine you have two video game discs, and you want to switch from playing Game A to Game B.

3. Reduce Setup Time:

• SMED is all about reducing the time it takes to switch from one game to the other. It's like finding a way to change the game disc super fast.

4. Separate Internal and External Setup:

• There are two types of things you do when switching games. "Internal" setup is like the things you do while the game console is turned off, such as opening the disc tray.

• "External" setup is what you do while the console is on, like navigating menus and waiting for the game to load.

• SMED helps you separate these tasks to make things faster.

5. Streamline the Process:

• SMED helps you find the most efficient way to switch games. It's like organizing your game discs and controllers so you can grab them quickly without searching.

6. Practice Makes Perfect:

• Just like getting better at a video game by practicing, SMED takes practice too. It's about finding the quickest way to make changes and doing it better each time.

7. Save Time and Be More Efficient:

• SMED isn't just for video games; it's a real-life superpower used in factories and businesses. It helps them change machines or processes quickly, saving time and being more efficient.

So, SMED is like a speed boost for changing from one thing to another, whether it's video games, machines in a factory, or any process that needs to be switched quickly and efficiently. It's all about doing things faster and better!

5S is like a set of rules for keeping your room or workspace neat and organized. It helps you work more efficiently and find things easily. Here's how it works:

1. Sort (Seiri - "Sort Out"):

• Imagine your room is messy with toys, clothes, and books everywhere. The first step, "Sort," is like going through everything and deciding what to keep and what to put away or throw out.

• You pick out the things you need and love, like your favorite clothes or games, and put them in their proper places. The rest can be donated or thrown away.

2. Set in Order (Seiton - "Set in Order"):

• Now that you've decided what to keep, it's time to put everything in its proper place. It's like organizing your clothes neatly in your closet or arranging your books on the shelf so you can find them easily.

• Everything has a home, and you know where to find it when you need it.

3. Shine (Seiso - "Shine"):

• This step is about keeping things clean. Imagine you've tidied up your room, and now you want to make sure it stays clean. You dust, sweep, and wipe down surfaces regularly.

• Just like you'd want your room to shine, workplaces should be kept clean and free of dirt and clutter.

4. Standardize (Seiketsu - "Standardize"):

• Think of this step as making a set of rules or a routine to keep things organized. For your room, it could be a daily habit of putting things back where they belong.

• In a workplace, it means everyone follows the same rules for keeping things organized and clean.

5. Sustain (Shitsuke - "Sustain" or "Self-Discipline"):

• The final step is about making all the previous steps a habit. It's like learning to ride a bike - once you know how, you don't forget. You want to make sure your room or workspace stays organized over time.

• By sustaining the 5S practices, you keep your space tidy, and it becomes a natural part of your routine.

So, 5S is like a simple system to help you keep your space organized, clean, and efficient, just like how you'd want your room to be comfortable and easy to use. It's a way to make your life simpler and more organized.

Imagine you have a to-do list for your homework, and you want to keep track of what needs to be done and what's already finished. Kanban is like a special way of organizing your tasks. Here's how it works:

1. Visualize Your Tasks:

• Kanban starts with a board or a chart. Think of it like a big bulletin board with columns. Each column represents a different stage of your tasks.

2. Create Task Cards:

• When you have a homework assignment or a task to do, you write it down on a card or sticky note. This card represents your task.

3. Move Cards Across Columns:

• Now, you place your task cards in the first column, which is usually labeled "To Do." These are the tasks you haven't started yet.

• As you begin working on a task, you move its card to the next column, like "In Progress." This shows that you're actively working on it.

• When you finish a task, you move the card to the "Done" column. This means it's completed.

4. Limit Work in Progress:

• Kanban also teaches you not to take on too many tasks at once. You limit the number of cards in the "In Progress" column. This way, you focus on finishing one task before starting another.

5. Visualize Progress:

• With Kanban, you can see at a glance what's on your plate, what you're currently working on, and what you've accomplished. It's like a visual snapshot of your work.

6. Continuous Flow:

• Kanban encourages a smooth, continuous flow of work. As you finish one task, you can start the next one, keeping things moving efficiently.

7. Adapt and Improve:

• If you notice that a task is stuck or taking too long, you can identify and solve the problem. Maybe you need more resources or help.

• Kanban helps you improve how you manage your tasks over time.

So, Kanban is like a game plan for tackling your homework or any other set of tasks. It helps you stay organized, see your progress, and work efficiently. It's a great way to manage your work and get things done!

Value stream mapping is like creating a treasure map, but instead of looking for treasure, you're looking for ways to make things better in a process or a system. Here's how it works:

1. Understand the Process:

• Imagine you have a favorite recipe for making a sandwich. Before you start improving it, you need to understand each step, like getting bread, adding ingredients, and making it tasty. That's your process.

2. Map It Out:

• Value stream mapping is about drawing a map of your process. You use special symbols and pictures to show each step, like a treasure map showing where the treasures are hidden.

3. Identify Treasure (Value) and Waste:

• In your sandwich-making process, the "treasure" is the delicious sandwich you want to enjoy. Anything that doesn't help you make that yummy sandwich is like "waste." It's like finding things on your treasure map that don't lead to the treasure.

4. Find Shortcuts:

• Just like you might look for a shorter path on a treasure map, in value stream mapping, you look for shortcuts or better ways to do things. For example, maybe you can make your sandwich faster by organizing your ingredients better.

5. Reduce Waste:

• Value stream mapping helps you spot things that are wasting time or resources in your process. It's like finding obstacles on your treasure map and figuring out how to remove them.

6. Make a Better Map:

• As you find ways to improve your process, you draw a new map. It's like updating your treasure map with new clues that lead you to the treasure more quickly.

7. Share Your Map:

• Just like you might share your treasure map with friends, in value stream mapping, you share your improved process with your team or others who can benefit from it.

8. Keep Exploring:

• Value stream mapping is not a one-time thing; it's an ongoing adventure. You keep looking for ways to make your process better, just like exploring for more treasures.

So, think of value stream mapping as a fun adventure where you create a special map to find treasures (value) and get rid of obstacles (waste) in a process. It helps you make things work more efficiently and enjoy the results, just like making a perfect sandwich with less effort!

Just-in-Time (JIT)

• Getting everything all at once: You could go to the store right now and buy all the supplies you need for the entire week. This means you'll have everything you need, but you might end up with extra stuff that you don't use, and you'll need to find a place to store it until you need it.

• Getting what you need, when you need it: Instead of buying everything at once, you could wait until the day you need each item. For example, on Monday, you buy the paper. On Tuesday, you buy the markers, and so on. This way, you only get what you need when you need it, and you don't have to worry about storing extra stuff.

Now, imagine that your homework project is like a big factory that makes cars. In a traditional way, the factory might order all the parts they need for a whole year and keep them in a big warehouse. This can be expensive and takes up a lot of space.

But, in the "just-in-time" way of doing things, the factory only orders the parts they need right when they're ready to assemble a car. This means they don't have to store a lot of extra parts, and it can save them money and space.

So, "just-in-time" is like getting what you need, when you need it, whether it's for your homework project or for making cars in a factory. It's all about being efficient and not having extra stuff lying around that you don't need right away.

TPM stands for "Total Productive Maintenance," and it's a concept used in the business and manufacturing world to make sure machines and equipment work smoothly and efficiently. Let me explain TPM in a way that a high school student can easily understand:

Imagine you have a bicycle. You use it every day to get to school and back home. Now, if you don't take care of your bicycle, it might start having problems. The chain could get rusty, the tires might go flat, or the brakes could stop working properly. When these things happen, your bicycle doesn't work as well as it used to, and it becomes hard to ride.

Total Productive Maintenance is like taking really good care of your bicycle to make sure it always works perfectly. Here's how it works:

• Prevent Problems: Instead of waiting for something to break on your bicycle, you regularly check it for any issues. For example, you make sure the tires have enough air, the chain is clean and lubricated, and the brakes are working smoothly. This way, you prevent problems from happening in the first place.

• Involve Everyone: In TPM, it's not just one person's job to take care of the bicycle; everyone who uses it helps keep it in good shape. Your friends and family who also ride the bike with you pitch in to make sure it's well-maintained.

• Keep it Clean: You also make sure your bicycle is clean and free from dirt and mud. This not only makes it look nice but also helps it work better.

• Regular Inspections: You regularly inspect your bicycle, looking for any signs of wear and tear. If you notice something, you fix it right away before it becomes a big problem.

• Make it Safe: TPM is not just about making your bicycle work well but also making sure it's safe to ride. You check that the brakes stop you when you need them to and that everything is in good working order to avoid accidents.

In a factory or business, TPM is like taking care of machines and equipment in a similar way. By doing all these things, you can make sure that the machines in a factory are always in good condition, work efficiently, and don't break down unexpectedly. This helps the business run smoothly, saves money on repairs, and ensures that products are made with high quality.

So, in simple terms, TPM is like taking care of your bicycle to keep it working perfectly and making sure everyone who uses it helps in keeping it in great shape. In a factory or business, it means taking care of machines and equipment to keep everything running smoothly.