Article list
VSM how and when to use
When and how to use VSMWe usually use VSM when waste needs to be eliminated while simultaneously improving quality and response time to customer requests.The VSM is a picture of the flow of materials, information, equipment and people in a complex system at a given time.But this picture (“VSM – current state”) has no value without defining what the picture will look like in the future, i.e. VSM – future state.Also, VSM – future state has no value without defining a...Read this article...
Why does Lean fail?
Why do many Lean implementation programs fails?The failure rate of Lean implementation projects varies depending on who you ask between 30% and 90%. Normally, with a success rate at this level we should look elsewhere. Unfortunately, the alternatives are usually much worse.
That is why it is good to know the causes that lead to failure. Unfortunately, the list below is not exhaustive.
Change of priorities during the implementation program
Failure to allocate the necessary resources:...
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What is Andon and how does it help us?
The word Andon is derived from the Japanese word for "paper lantern." Taiichi Ohno, the developer of the Toyota Production System, can reasonably be considered the inventor of Andon in manufacturing.In manufacturing, Andon is a system for notifying job foremen, managers, maintenance personnel, and other workers of a quality and/or process situation or problem. This alert can be made, activated manually by a worker, or activated automatically by production equipment. This makes it possible to...Read this article...
Six Sigma Green Belt and project challenges
Six Sigma is a systematic approach to continuous process improvement, focused on identifying and eliminating process defects and variations. Using Six Sigma ensures a high level of quality, thus reducing costs and increasing customer satisfaction.Certification levels:
Yellow Belt is the basic level, the goal being to understand the basic principles and participation in project teams.
Green Belt is the next level of certification, they lead improvement projects and have advanced knowledge...
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Lean or Six Sigma?
Lean production and Six Sigma principles are used to improve processes and create efficiency in the overall production process. Lean is used to eliminate losses, while saving costs, to increase productivity so as to create the maximum possible efficiency. Six Sigma focuses on reducing variation and errors in the production process, which is due to the fact that processes without consistent reliability ultimately lead to errors and defective products. Reducing variation will lead to higher...Read this article...
Why MSA is useful in production?
MSA – Measurement System Analysis has the main purpose of ensuring that the instruments, the measurement processes and the decision evaluation system are capable of producing reliable results. It is the methodology to evaluate the measurement system's ability to provide precise and accurate data.MSA is fundamental in industries where quality control is critical, it helps to reduce sources of error, so the data collected after measurements are "trusted" to be used for improving...
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How do we prepare a maintenance budget?
Creating such a budget involves analyzing maintenance history, determining future needs and taking into account all associated costs.Here are the main steps for developing a maintenance budget:
Analyze historical maintenance data (repairs, spare parts, labor costs). Identifies possible trends regarding the frequency or type of defects
Determines the frequency of preventive maintenance: based on the manufacturer's recommendations, experience, degree of use of the equipment
Identifies...
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Challenges in using 8D
8D – 8 Disciplines is a structured methodology that offers a systematic and detailed approach to solving problems, customer complaints, correcting and improving performance indicators and is widely used in various industries, initially being developed by the Ford company.8D seeks to identify, correctly understand the deviation, immediately isolate the effects and correct the problems in such a way as to prevent their recurrence.
However, in order to have the expected results after the...
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How do we choose the most suitable type of maintenance for our equipment?
When we talk about the most used types of maintenance we find several terminologies: emergency maintenance, corrective maintenance, autonomous maintenance, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance.Choosing the most suitable type of maintenance for our equipment is not always an easy and obvious choice, it depends on several factors.
Here are some things to consider:
Type of equipment: Different equipment has different needs. Critical or complex equipment may require predictive...
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REFA vs MTM norming
The time norm is the time allotted for the performance of a work task by a worker with a certain qualification, under certain technical and organizational conditions. It's the most important norm because other types of norms are determined based on it.It is mainly applied for the rationing of the labor force of workers engaged in performing heterogeneous work and is expressed in units of time, such as: seconds, minutes or hours per unit of production.
The measuring instruments used...
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VSM - Value Stream Mapping
VSM - Value Stream Mapping is a visual representation of the flow of materials, information and people in a complex system. By including materials and information, VSM differs from a traditional process flow map; this method was originally developed in the TPS (Toyota Production System) as "Material and Information Flow Diagrams", and in 1999 - Mike Rother and John Shook published the book "Learning to see". They pioneered the introduction of material and information flow diagrams and...Read this article...
The top skills needed for a team leader
Ability means a set of theoretical and practical skills resulting from a learning process, representing the total knowledge of any kind, the goal being to put them into practice, to achieve the desired results.Team leadership skills are not inherent, and there are a number of leadership qualities that can be easily mastered and that can help a leader become better and better.
Organization - an organized team leader reduces the pressure on employees, is transparent and open about what is to...
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About First Time Manager
At the end of 2021, our company had the joy of organizing and delivering the first training session on the topic First time manager. The First time manager training adresses those who hold this position for the first time, but also those who aspire to this position within an organization.The course aims to develop those skills necessary for the manager to achieve performance, providing up-to-date information on managerial theories, the roles and functions of a manager, the connection of...
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The role of creativity in talent managemen
Talent management is defined as the strategic, methodic and organized process of integrating the right talent into the organization and helping it to develop its optimal capabilities, taking into account organizational objectives.Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or opportunities that may be helpful in solving problems, communicating with others, or spending time at work or leisure.
Identifying the necessary talent in the company as well as...
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The challenges of Lean implementation
Despite Lean's enormous popularity, the results for the successful implementation of the methodology are, at best, irregular. What are the challenges, why are companies failing to achieve Lean success?The focus on tools that do not focus on creating a culture of trust and transparency, will most likely make those tools fail. Training employees through just a few training sessions, then identifying losses and understanding the root causes, generating ideas on how to reduce or eliminate them,...
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How can we avoid crowding a warehouse?
Warehouses are buildings or spaces defined and calculated to store goods (raw materials, components or finished products) until they are assigned a destination and function. For warehouses of production units, the downtime of the goods should be as short as possible, so that the turnover of stocks (how many times we use stocks during a month) is as long as possible. For distribution and other industries, stocks can be defining and very important for a company that needs to be available to its...Read this article...
New trends and needs in the area of extra-salary benefits
In order to stay on top of the market, companies need to adapt to new trends in employee life both in the company and in private.The year 2022 comes, or it should do so, with an increasing concern of employers for the well-being of employees, in order to keep them focused at work. In this regard, employers should consider offering new, diverse benefits adapted to the needs of employees in this post-pandemic period.
The emphasis on the mental health of employees is materialized in medical...
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Preventive maintenance in the food industry
Can preventive maintenance be applied in the food industry? Of course and it is very necessary. In this industry, the focus will be on two categories: reliability and hygiene. Unlike industries that produce consumer goods where products are not perishable, in the case of the food industry - hygiene measures come first.The design of food processing equipment requires a lot of experience in the field. I mentioned the design because, if done well, it will result in lower costs for hygiene and...
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The Management of warehouse activities during peak periods
There are very few industries or areas where volumes are fixed for certain periods of time - when we try to think of such situations, we may fall into the "trap" of filling capacity (production or storage or distribution). There may be the impression that if we fill capacity to the maximum, the volumes of goods and work will be constant, and efficiency and profitability will have high (maximum) values. It is a trap because, in order to operate at full capacity, we need EVERYTHING to be stable:...Read this article...
Visitors’ access to warehouses
Warehouses are, in addition to production, some of the most visited areas in a factory. Sometimes warehouse workers may get the impression that people tend to come and visit them, just like when going to a ... show. The problem is not the show, because we are good at it, through various conflicts with carriers, with suppliers of materials and services, with colleagues from other departments and, quite often, through our own conflicts of the warehouse; the problem is the visitors.Visitors...
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A job interview should not be perceived as questionin
As inappropriate as it may seem for 2021, the questioning of candidates is still being practiced. The difference between an interview and an interrogation is, at the moment of that discussion, almost imperceptible, but completely perceptible at the end of it, when the candidate leaves with that perplexed expression after the famous phrase of the 'interviewer': 'We will contact you if we will go further '….The attitude of the questioner represents a defining component of the meaning of...
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Benefits of supplier audits
Quality audits of suppliers represent the processes of verifying that each of them complies with industrial, legal and regulatory standards, as well as customer standards and requirements.Although there are many reasons for this practice, here are some of the most important benefits of performing quality audits on suppliers:
Risk reduction
A significant amount of risk is accompanied by extensive supply chains, outsourcing and globalization. Risks include:
a quality
o Safety
o...
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The importance of maintaining proper storage conditions in a warehouse
One of the very common problems that arise in warehouse activities is that of expired, damaged and old materials. We must always be prepared to accept that we may have several root causes and not just one, as in problem-solving manuals.One cause may come from senior management - directives to keep large stocks of raw materials, larger than those necessary for the period in which we could use them - and then we do not have enough adequate storage space.
Another cause may be the purchasing...
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Feedback in the process of integration of new employees
When we talk about feedback in the organizational environment, the mind usually leads us to the feedback that the employer gives to the employees. In the case of the process of integrating new employees, this feedback is provided by the employees to the employer, which causes the communication circuit to close naturally.It is important for the organization, management and teams for newcomers to provide feedback in a structured, organized, formal way. The importance of this feedback comes from...
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Conflict management in warehouses
Warehouses - those buildings or annexes where we move goods - such a simple definition generates the image of an anthill, many who walk, many who see to their needs ... but when there are so many different movements and activities that depend on each other, with a high level of stress, it is normal for sparks to appear from time to time (far too often, by the way).In general, as in all departments, there is a formal and informal hierarchical structure in the warehouses - which leads to...
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Home office: Advantages and disadvantages
Home office is not a new concept, but the pandemic has changed a lot the way people do business, and multinational companies and small and medium business owners need more flexibility, given the changing needs and objectives of the businesses.Working from home is not for everyone; both employees and business owners have their own set of values and priorities and it is important to consider the pros and cons before making a decision in this regard.
Here are some home office pluses:
-...
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Logistic predictions for 2022
We started 2022 more than 2 weeks ago, but things don't seem to be clearing up at all. There are several scenarios for how "hostilities" may unfold from now on. The worst case scenario is a very aggressive mutation in the Covid-19 virus, which could lead to economic restrictions and quarantine. The most positive scenario is that, with wave 6 and the Omicron variant, most people will go through the disease - thus achieving that desired group immunity, which will make the virus no longer...Read this article...
Lean production
Lean production focuses on eliminating losses, so that all activities bring value from the customer's perspective. The value is obtained through the activities carried out in order to transform a product or service, from the initial form into a final form requested by the customer, for which he is willing to pay.This is where all organizations want to go, and this is the only way to be profitable and competitive. Implementing or changing the system requires time and resources, involvement,...
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How to maintain a good working relationship with customers or suppliers
In the 1960s, experts developed the internal relationship between storage and transportation, with the result of the study being distribution management. The term "supply chain management" has been seriously studied since the early 1980's, with many researchers providing a framework and model for it.Supply chain management is one of the most effective approaches to reducing production costs and also provides time to wait. It is a set of techniques that are used for the efficient integration...
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Trainers and vocational training
Studies in Romania 2021 show that the deficit of the competent labor force is more and more accentuated. What can companies do to balance this deficit? One of the actions required is to invest in employee training. What does an investment in smart, strategic training entail? Among other things, it involves the training of trainers.Within the organizations in which we carry out our activity, we have colleagues who work at ‘Training’, in the ‘training department’. These...
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5S at home
5S is a five-step management methodology that is repeated in a production framework to ensure quality, to limit losses but especially to maximize the time and results of the efforts of employees. Work becomes difficult in messy and crowded environments, when employees are always looking for important tools or documents, and the chances of injury increase in uncontrolled spaces. With the same line of thinking, 5S can be implemented in your own home, with similar benefits to a clean and tidy...Read this article...
Autonomous maintenance
The autonomous maintenance (MA) is the maintenance performed by operators and consists of performing inspections, cleaning, lubrication and other operations with a low degree of difficulty. At the same time, it is a way to learn about how equipment works and how to highlight the signs of failure.Operators involved in the application of autonomous maintenance must have 4 skills:
- detection of abnormalities
- correction and elimination of abnormalities
- setting the optimal conditions for...
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The process of integrating employees in the virtual environment
When we hire a person for a position whose duties will be performed 100% online, their integration into the organization becomes even more important for the proper conduct of future activities and for building efficient rapport between team members.The reality of 2021 has brought most HR specialists in the face of extremely diverse situations: full teams working permanently online, mixed teams - colleagues interacting face to face with colleagues working online, teams working online only part...
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Suggestions’ system in a factory
The feedback system or the process of continuous improvement is essential to be implemented and functional in any factory that wants to reduce costs, to be competitive, to have motivated employees and to create that culture of continuous improvement.The Management is responsible for creating this system, allocating the necessary time and resources so that each employee has access to contribute with suggestions for improvement, regardless of their position and place of work. The system must be...
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The challenges of organizing an efficient logistics park
In the context of the continuous increase of fuel prices, energy and, implicitly, of raw materials and services, the outsourcing of certain support functions is starting to become a reality for more and more companies in Romania. Outsourcing logistics services come with immediate benefits: stock changes that are billed to the logistics service provider, penalties from customers or suppliers billed to the same service provider, with very strict measurement of logistics performance to ensure that...Read this article...
Tips and tricks for leaders
The most common expression that comes from people who have subordinates is certainly: "The hardest part is working with people." Of course, it is not easy to be a leader, to lead a team, to have performances and to permanently maintain the level of interest and motivation of the subordinates at optimal levels. The leader needs a wide range of skills, but leadership skills can be learned.Here are some tips and tricks on the road to successful leadership:
- Leadership is not about you.
The...
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Good practices for staff recruitment
Staff recruitment is the process of identifying and attracting the best potential future employees for the company. With the change of 'personnel' policies and the introduction of 'human resources management', then 'talent management', now 'human capital management', the recruitment in Romania has undergone and is constantly undergoing essential changes linked to the design of process, the recruiting skills or branding strategies, etc. Below you may find a list of good practices for staff...Read this article...
Urgent shipments or proper planning
When we estimate the transport budget for the following year, we usually face the same problem: how much do we budget for special or urgent transport? We hear from our superiors the expression “This is your job in the Logistics Department, to organize yourself so that we do NOT have special transports. So then we budget zero, right?” Is it alright and can it be easy to set a zero target?Where do these "special" transports come from? Can anyone imagine that a Logistics manager...
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The distribution of workers based on their abilities in the production process
When we talk about "Ability" we refer to a set of theoretical and practical skills resulting from a learning process, representing the total knowledge of any kind, the goal being to put those into practice in order to achieve the desired results.The recruitment process considers the “voice of the production” which, according to the manufacturing process, identifies and signals the skills that should be covered by future employees, so that after the induction period they can...
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Teamwork
The explanatory dictionary defines the team as "a group of people who, under the leadership of a leader, perform a joint task or action at the same time", and in teamwork all members of the group cooperate to achieve the same goals. At its core is the team spirit, the connection that is created between people and the feeling of being part of a team and also contributing to the achievement of goals. However, things do not always work perfectly, they do not always live up to the...Read this article...
Preventive maintenance in the automotive industry
Maintenance is one of the most important support activities in an organization.Over time, with the increasing complexity of equipment, several types of maintenance activities have emerged. Their role is to ensure the operation of the equipment is done at the parameters at which they were designed but also to reduce maintenance costs. Properly planned maintenance involves determining the type of maintenance to be applied to each piece of equipment. In this regard, the importance of the...
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The HR Department's Activities and working from home
Can human resources' specialists work from home or not? Does the nature of their work involve their physical presence in the office or can these activities be carried out efficiently at home? These were just two of the many questions raised by the pandemic period of 2020-2021, to which companies answer depending on the nature of the company's activity, the resilience of managers to change (including HR managers) and the level of automation of HR activities.Objectively, at a certain level of...
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Inventory Management...to the rescue!
Inventory management represents one of the challenges of a constantly evolving market and not necessarily in the right direction of evolution: in the context of rising prices for most raw and processed materials, as well as fuel prices, it is absolutely normal to want to avoid losses and variations in the stocks of our companies. The struggle that companies are currently waging to maintain hard-won positions in the markets in which they operate is downright dramatic and, therefore, at...Read this article...
Ergonomics - interdisciplinary science
Along with the development of the productive forces, the man being the determining element among them, there arose the need to conduct studies and research on work. The purpose of these studies is to maintain the physical and mental state of man as high as possible, in order to enable him to respond appropriately to the requirements imposed by the introduction of technological progress.The concept of productive forces covers all the forces that are applied by humans in the production process,...
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The organizational psychologist
Organizational psychology is the field of applicability of psychology that aims at a deep understanding of human behavior manifested in the work environment.Organizational psychologists are educated, trained and have skills in:
- Identification of predictive characteristics of success (selection criteria)
- Identifying and developing the needs for professional development
- Development of performance evaluation criteria
- Design and implementation of training programs
- Psycho-behavioral...
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The evolution of Quality
From inspection to total qualityAt the beginning of the manufacturing concepts, the work of an operator was inspected and the decision was made whether it was accepted or rejected. As the business grew, the role of inspector became full-time.
With the creation of inspection functions, other problems arose:
Technical problems appeared, which required specialized skills that production workers did not possess
Inspectors lacked training
Inspectors were ordered to accept defective products,...
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5 pieces of useful advice for young managers
Whether you are a young person in a management position or newly promoted to a management position, the following recommendations summarized from the experienced experience of senior managers will help you adapt more quickly and efficiently to your new role.Team management begins with active listening
Listening to what the other person has to say, being attentive, making eye contact, taking notes, asking strong questions are the skills that the new manager must constantly practice. The...
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Motion Study - MT
The time measurement method (MTM) is a predetermined system of time of movement, used mainly in industrial environments, to analyze the methods used to perform any operation or manual task and, as a product of that analysis, to establish the standard time in which a worker should complete a certain task. MTM was launched in 1948 and today it exists in several variants, known as MTM-1, MTM-2, MTM-UAS, etc. Some MTM standards are outdated, including MTM-3 and MMMM.The methodology used for this...
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Forklifts’ management in warehouses
Electric, gas or diesel forklifts are the most used equipment in the current activities of the warehouses, whether they are factory or distribution warehouses. With their help we manage to unload, transport and load heavy weights, store them or arrange them at height or on the ground. However, given that they are man-operated, these equipments can generate very high losses if they are not dimensioned according to the activity, if they are not used efficiently and if the activity of the...Read this article...
Human Resources Department's Activities
When we think about what the Human Resources department does, a thousand activities come to mind and a thousand others we remember along the way. The 'HR' also deals with leave and absences and recruitment and salaries and absentees and with the 'new ones' and the 'those who leave' and much more… meal vouchers, gift vouchers , the 'performance bonus', the disciplinary convocation and the 'Six Sigma training', these are all things that the 'HR people' seem to be doing, aren't they?Yes,...
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