Targeting manufacturing lead time reduction?

Reducing manufacturing lead time improves business profitability, competitiveness and customer satisfaction. Lead time reduction also advances agility at work and enables quicker responses to changes in the operating environment.

Reducing lead time is possible, but it often requires systematic development and a clear overview of manufacturing processes and problems. Such an overview can be achieved with real-time, high-quality data.  

Why is it worth collecting data from production?

• The actual overview of production becomes visible and assessable. Decision making is based on facts instead of opinions and gut feelings.
• Production planning is easier and more efficient when using accurate real-time data on product change times and running speeds, for example, as the basis.  
• Bottlenecks slowing down or impeding production can be identified. When production stoppages are methodically summarized in the database, it is possible to tackle their root causes systematically.
• By measuring the amount and duration of disturbances occurring in production, it is possible to determine the cost impact of problem situations and support potential future investment decisions.
• Data collected helps select and prioritize items of development. In this regard, it is essential to understand where the most important potential for development lies and how to achieve the best possible benefit.  

Data collection has already come a long way when all of the above mentioned items have been considered. However, after this, it should be assessed how this data can be utilized to improve the efficiency of production. 

The Andon system is a simple and efficient aid for reducing manufacturing lead times

The Andon system provides a simple and efficient method for measuring manufacturing support processes and enabling improvement of their efficiency. It gives a reliable account of the level of support processes: how well and how efficiently assistance requests in production can be responded to. 

The central idea of the system is to offer a quick way to request help when a problem is detected. A request for assistance made with the Andon by Pinja system generates an alert to the persons that are needed to solve the problem. The problem solving process starts and production can return to normal as soon as possible. Simultaneously, time and cost savings are achieved. 

In addition to efficient problem solving, the Andon system makes data related to production assistance requests visible and measurable.

Once the problem is solved, its cause is recorded in the system and the report shows various items, such as the average response time, the time required by the repair, and the number of times assistance was requested for an individual line, machine or workplace.

By identifying disturbances in production, it is possible to reduce unexpected events and in this way achieve more smoothly running production. For example, monitoring the total number of assistance requests gives an overview of the success of daily processes. In addition to indicating problems in the production process, a large number of assistance requests can also be a sign of insufficient employee skills and a possible training need. Lack of work instructions and unclear operating models can also be a cause of assistance requests that are unnecessary in terms of production, particularly in exceptional situations.

Based on the report generated by the Andon system, it is also possible to draw conclusions about service response times and sufficiency of support service resources. If, for example, most of the problem solving time is taken by the arrival of help, it may be reasonable to examine the sufficiency of human resources in the support organization. On the other hand, the problem solving skills of the support organization can be measured based on the information obtained.

Do you want to learn more?

Download the free study report: The awareness of the Andon method among the Finnish manufacutirin industry. An aim of the study was to determine how well the Andon method is known in the Finnish manufacturing industry. Secondly, we wanted to understand the types of challenges and requirements with which the industrial manufacture is currently struggling.

Read more:

Andon by Pinja - Production assistance request and reporting system
Study: More than 70% of the respondents considered the Andon method useful
Blog: Get production disruptions under control using the Andon method