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As a leader, how can one achieve continuous improvement in lean production management?

2019-04-09View Original

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  Overview of Huatianmou’s experts in lean production management: The business environment is constantly changing, and customer demands are also continually evolving. Therefore, the production site cannot remain in its original state either. In short, improvement has no ceiling; it is infinite. Lean production management is not achieved overnight either; it requires a step-by-step approach, continuous reflection, and ongoing improvement. It requires each of us to take action together.   1. Leaders should set an example. Do not think that “improving work is the responsibility of subordinates; managers don’t need to do it.” In fact, both leaders and employees must be able to commit to improvement. If he himself cannot lead by example first, then his subordinates will not be able to move forward either.   As a leader, one must urge oneself to strive for improvement every day, and at the same time constantly ask subordinates to \"improve further,\" thereby stimulating and enhancing their willingness and enthusiasm to make improvements.   Of course, the themes of improvements made by leaders are different from those made by front-line workers on the production floor. Improvements for on-site workers focus on work procedures and operating methods, while leaders focus on improvements in the soft aspects such as organization, systems, and management structures.   Although the specific areas and aspects for improvement differ between the two, by setting an example and constantly urging subordinates to \"improve further,\" if supervisors can lead by example, subordinates will develop a stronger sense of the need for improvement and will proactively carry out the supervisors’ intentions for improvement.   In short, whether it is leaders or subordinates, one must continuously improve oneself. One should also achieve continuous self-improvement through the ongoing improvement of work.   2. Leaders should assign tasks to their subordinates and set goals. Some people mistakenly believe that a leader’s role is merely to assign tasks and set goals; as a leader, one is expected to urge subordinates to improve their work, develop improvement plans, and set improvement goals. It is highly inappropriate to simply wait for statistical figures.   On the contrary. It is very important for leaders to show concern regarding whatever improvements their subordinates plan to make, what improvements they have made, what problems arise during those improvements, and what the results of those improvements are.   For example, at a presentation session for the results of a quality management team’s work, if the leadership shows no interest, the presenters will naturally feel demotivated and lose enthusiasm, and will also lose interest in their future work. And if leaders listen carefully to each improvement report submitted by their subordinates, it will affect the subordinates’ enthusiasm for making improvements, and their motivation to do so will be stimulated.   3. Do not underestimate minor improvement efforts. In the production area, there are always some seemingly trivial irrationalities or working methods. However, some major accidents often stem from these aspects that are usually overlooked. Therefore, while paying attention to those improvements that seem significant, one should not underestimate “small improvements” as well.   “Do not refrain from doing good just because it seems small; perfection is achieved through small steps over time. Don’t think that only major improvements can be considered as such; improvements should start with small things, right around us.   Improvement stems from the question of \"Is this the right thing to do?\", from small clever ideas, and even more from the level of attention paid to daily tasks. Principles such as \"There is knowledge in everything around us\", \"If you can’t keep your own house clean, how can you clean the yard?\", and \"Don’t neglect to do small acts of kindness\" are those we should uphold. At the beginning, don’t expect to achieve 100% – the chance of success on the first try is only 1%. We need to keep improving.   4. Be tolerant of failure Leaders should tolerate the failures that occur during improvement efforts by their subordinates, and they should carefully listen to the reasons behind those failures as well as the lessons learned from them. In fact, it’s impossible to succeed in everything. And failure itself means that improvement is needed. Every instance of failure can provide us with opportunities for improvement and ideas to prevent it from happening again.   Failure is not important; what matters is to avoid making the same mistake again. Generally speaking, when a failure occurs, it is often difficult for those involved to bring it up with their supervisors. Since subordinates have the courage to admit their failures, leaders should praise them for this and encourage them to keep improving. Therefore, creating an environment where people dare to speak the truth and report failures is extremely important for “improvement”.   5. The busier it is, the better the opportunity for improvement. Experience shows that in workshops where the workload is light, fewer improvement ideas are generated, and those that are created are not of high quality. On the contrary, in those workshops with heavy workloads, improvement ideas keep emerging constantly, and high-quality improvement solutions are also produced. It is because of being \"overwhelmed and short-staffed\" that people put their minds to work, come up with solutions, and generate ideas and plans for improvement.   Of course, there will also be complaints of being too busy to focus on improvements. This only shows that these people do not have a strong enough awareness or desire to make improvements. Therefore, they are also unable or find it difficult to get rid of the situation of being too busy. Continuous improvement, on the other hand, makes people’s work easier, more enjoyable, and more efficient.   6. Improvements should be made based on actual needs. There is no need to make improvements for things that are not actually required; tasks that are not urgent in daily work can be dealt with at a later time, while those that are necessary for work should be improved immediately.   7. Abandon rigid and fixed ideas First, reject the status quo. During improvement, changing mindsets is very important. Don’t think that something can’t be changed; believe that “anything is possible”.   8. Do not emphasize reasons. Thinking about reasons is the beginning of retreating; once the idea of retreating arises, anything that could be improved is basically lost. For example, those who take immediate action to make improvements do not use \"customer requirements\" as an excuse; only those who fail to take action do so. Find solutions from the impossible.   Don’t say “it’s impossible” or “it can’t be done”; what is meant by “it can’t be done” is a lack of wisdom. Improvements are everywhere. There is room for improvement not only at work but also in daily life. For example, in TV shows about good housewives, cola bottles are cut diagonally to be used as soup spoon containers. The large plastic shopping bags from two supermarkets can be stacked to make kitchen scarves and similar items.   9. Everyone’s participation  There should be no need for individual heroes; everyone can contribute to improvements. It is the collective wisdom and effort that matter, and improvements of any size are possible. In a manufacturing department, at least 50% of the employees should be involved.   10. More attention should be paid to improvements that require little money. Everyone can make improvements by spending money, but what we need are improvements that require little or no expense at all; this not only helps to save costs but also fosters a culture of thrift and diligence among people.   11. Take action immediately. \"Value perseverance over speed, and simplicity over perfection.\" Once a plan for improvement is in place, don’t get overly stuck on details or strive for perfection; instead, put it into action right away, even if only 20% of the desired goal is achieved.   There is no difference between problems that are solved immediately and those that cannot be solved immediately; problems should be resolved right away once they arise. This is what is meant by lean production’s statement that “execution should be like that of a person going on a rampage.” Correcting mistakes immediately is the essential path to improving one’s own quality.   12. Four principles of improvement methods  ① The on-site principle. All work must be resolved on-site, with our supervisors and engineers present there. Improvement must follow the three principles of reality: the site, the actual items, and the actual conditions.   ②The “5-Why method” principle in investigating causes involves identifying the root of a problem through repeated questioning of why five times.   ③Standardization principle. The first step toward improvement is standardization; without standards, there can be no improvement.   ④Time management principles for importance management.   13. Improvement is endless. The process of improvement is a spiral upward movement that never ends. When it comes to improving work, one must act as if wringing water out of a towel – and keep wringing even after it’s dry; the same is true when it comes to improvement efforts. The conditions at the production site are not static, and improvement efforts are not something that can be accomplished easily in one go.   Looking back at past improvements, some imperfections might be discovered again, and perhaps better ways to improve could be found. Human capabilities are constantly improving, and new knowledge and technologies are continually emerging; people should not and will not be satisfied with or stop at the existing improvements.   The business environment is constantly changing, and customer demands are also continually evolving. Therefore, the production site cannot remain in its original state either. In short, improvement has no ceiling; it is infinite. Continuous improvement is the most effective approach to building a lean factory. The lean management in our feed factory follows the same principle: starting with small steps, striving for perfection, and turning it into a dream factory for the feed industry. As long as you take action, a bright future is surely yours!   The above content reveals the basic concept of improvement. In fact, the fundamental issue of quality and improvement is the issue of human quality. It is reiterated that a people-oriented approach is essential; only when all employees in the company love their company, their work, and the company’s policies, and work together as one family, while also loving the company’s products and adhering to its mission, can the company thrive. For this reason, lean production emphasizes the quality of people, respects human nature, and places importance on the education and development of individuals.

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