IMPLEMENTING LEAN
Implementing Lean in Your Business
Once you have got an understanding of the basics of 2-Second Lean, and have started to develop a lean mindset for yourself, you can start to practically implement lean in your workplace. You will need to ensure that others in the organisation understand the work that is involved and that they understand the concepts too. They may not understand it straight away, but like improvements, the learning must be continuous too, repetition is key to learning and understanding 2-Second Lean.
Leadership Commitment
One of the key things to establish when you first start implementing 2-Second Lean is leadership commitment. Leaders should fully understand and fully commit to the goals and aims of 2-Second Lean. They should fully understand the different concepts of 2-Second Lean and commit to implementing them throughout the workplace. The leaders should set an example for all the other staff and work with them to ensure all staff understand it too.
In the toy factory, the new owner knows he must be fully committed to the 2-Second Lean philosophy. By setting an example for the other staff, they have come on board to the ideas and have started to take ownership of their own improvements.
Training & Learning
Whilst the leaders should be amongst the first people in the company to understand 2-Second Lean, it is important that everyone can follow it. Brief training sessions should be provided to all staff to educate them on the core principles. It should be kept concise and simple so as to not alienate anyone, or over-complicate it. Break it down into small chunks of information which the staff can digest and understand it bit-by-bit. Don’t be afraid to re-cover material, as reinforcement of the knowledge and principles is key.
In the toy factory, they have started holding small training sessions in the morning. They have covered the basic principles such as 8 wastes and 4 criteria and are working to ensure all staff understand the key ideas. Everyone from owners and leaders to operators are attending these sessions to ensure everyone is at the same level of understanding.
What's in this chapter?
The Morning Meeting
Every morning you should have a company-wide meeting to discuss everything from lean improvements to what’s new in the place.
Kanban Cards
A Kanban Card is a visual signal to help you manage inventory of stock, supplies and materials.
Lean Labelling
The general concept of Lean Labelling is a way of providing information within the workplace.
Gemba Walks
Gemba literally means “the actual place” in Japanese. This section is all about visiting the factory floor and seeing things for yourself.
WhatsApp Groups
Communication is key to continuous improvement, you need a platform to discuss and highlight improvements at any time from anywhere.
2-Bin Systems
One of the easiest ways to keep track of inventory, materials and supplies is to make use of a 2-Bin System for each item.
