Tuesday, January 24, 2006

List of Tools

During the call we started to list various "tools" for LEAN. I had mentioned that I had started to surf the web looking for various lists and descriptions. My current very incomplete list can be found here.

I will be adding to it in the future.


Comments:
Have you looked at the glossary on the SME Lean Community web site? see http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/communities.pl?/communities/techgroups/lean_mfg/lean_mfg_glossary.htm&&&SME&
 
There are many "Technical Tools" out there. The quantity alone might be overwhelming and prioritizing by importance might be problematic. Often several tools can achieve the same or similar purpose, e.g. to eliminate waste.

It might make live easier in order to group or prioritize to look at the “purpose” of the tool or at the “system/process” under investigation with the specific issues to solve.

E.g. the purpose of six sigma is the reduction in variation and defects the purpose of 5S might be to support TQM. For instance the system/process under investigation could be TQM (in order to increase uptime) and tools might be 5S, mapping, PM.

Determination and prioritizing of purposes might be easier and more focused to the primary needs.

Thank you,

Juergen Boenisch
 
Please also consider adding whatever human side facets a particular tool entails.

Which human behaviors inhibit use of a particular tool? What kind of management attitude is important in implementing this tool?

It's possible that an obstacle to learning the human stuff is that it tends to be vague, diffuse and fluffy. Applied to a tool, it might make more sense to an engineer.
 
A couple of thoughts.

(1) I don't see the need to prioritize as much as methodically explain the tools. It is a little like screwdrivers, many types that provide the same basic function. But, a slotted driver just won't work with robert's screws (square).

(2) With regard to Karen's comment, this is exactly what I was proposing here . Check the branches on the map, these are the "attributes" were can discuss for the tools.
 
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