The four key points for factory enterprises to adopt lean production methods

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Traditional production management models pose many obstacles to the development of factories and enterprises; only by implementing lean management can the right path be found to overcome these development bottlenecks. However, how to achieve a shift to a lean production approach featuring \"multiple products in small batches\" through the implementation of lean production management is a problem faced by many factories and enterprises today. First, we need to shift from a production organization centered on products to one centered on parts. The so-called “product-centered” organization of production means that in the production process of an enterprise, the “material flow” and “information flow” between various production stages move and are transmitted on a “product-by-product” basis ； Within each production stage, the “logistics” and “information flow” move and are transmitted on a “part-by-part” basis. “Organizing production around the product has led to the following drawbacks in traditional production management models: first, there is a disconnect between production planning and operational planning, resulting in weak planning and control capabilities. Second, each component is produced at its own production capacity and speed, resulting in a significant increase in inventory. Third, production lacks flexibility, resulting in a low ability to respond to market changes. Modern production management requires organizing production on a \"part-centered\" basis. The so-called “part-centered” organization of production means that throughout the entire production process, from aspects such as process design, planning, and production execution, everything is organized and arranged on a part-by-part basis. Not only is the transfer of \"logistics\" and \"information flow\" on the internal production side carried out in units of parts, but the same applies to the \"logistics\" and \"information flow\" between different stages as well. “The advantage of organizing production around parts is that, in a part-centered production approach, the unit of \"material flow\" and \"information flow\" remains consistent both within each production stage and between different stages – that is, using parts as the unit – which allows production planning and operational planning to be integrated into a single plan. It overcomes the separation and disconnection of \"logistics\" and \"information flow\" that arise from the inconsistent unit specifications in a \"product-centered\" approach, ensuring seamless information transfer between production plans and operational plans. As a result, both the \"logistics\" and \"information flow\" across various production stages as well as within them can be managed by a unified control center, allowing the entire production process to be under strict and orderly control. Secondly, it is necessary to transform management work from being uninstitutionalized, unprompted, and non-standardized to one that is institutionalized, procedural, and standardized. The institutionalization, proceduralization, and standardization of production management are the foundation of scientific management. Lean production management requires companies, in their management practices, to distinguish between tasks that occur repeatedly and events that happen occasionally. For management tasks that occur repeatedly, they are carried out in full accordance with various rules and regulations, operational standards, and procedures; everything is done on a documented basis, following established guidelines, operating according to standard procedures, and managing in line with established protocols. Managers should focus their main efforts on dealing with those occasional issues that arise. At the production site, it is necessary to implement methods such as the \"model method,\" \"5S management,\" \"fixed-location management,\" and \"visual management,\" which are based on motion analysis and work study, in order to achieve order, standardization, and a civilized working environment there. Once again, we should implement proceduralization in management work, standardization of management tasks, and standardization of report documents through software systems. In terms of management methods, it has shifted from manual management to information-based management. The completeness and accuracy of data can provide significant assistance to managers when making improvements on the production floor. Information-based management holds great potential, and its implementation requires a comprehensive production and operation management system and model that is suited to it, progressing further toward a highly integrated approach that combines operations with production as well as manufacturing with management. The application of information-based management in production management includes areas such as market forecasting and decision-making, production planning, the formulation and control of production schedules, product design, the development of manufacturing processes and tools, as well as the management of personnel records, labor costs, material inventory, and costs. By adopting information-based management, a company’s various activities such as business planning, product development, product design, manufacturing, and marketing can be integrated into a cohesive organic system, enabling it to adapt more flexibly to changes in the environment. Moreover, its application in enterprise production and management can greatly enhance the level of automation in production and management, thereby significantly improving productivity. Finally, we should combine lean production management techniques with the introduction of highly flexible and low-cost automated manufacturing equipment to build lean production lines, thereby shifting from a production model based on a few product varieties in large quantities to one that involves multiple product varieties in small batches. In today’s era, the traditional production management model, which organizes production around products and controls progress through scheduling in order to produce large quantities of a few types of products, has gradually shown its weaknesses in terms of flexibility when faced with diverse market demands; it is unable to adapt swiftly to changes in market needs. The rapid development of electronic technology, automation technology, and computer technology has made it possible to shift from mass production methods to those that involve a variety of products in smaller batches, both in terms of production process techniques and production management methods. Therefore, the mass production approach is gradually losing its advantages, while mixed production of multiple varieties in small to medium batches will increasingly become the norm. However, this shift in production methods makes the approach of reducing costs by increasing batch sizes, which was effective under mass production methods, no longer viable. Therefore, in the process of transforming our production methods, we need to adopt lean management practices, combined with information management systems, to carry out comprehensive and scientific management of production costs.