Practical Aspects of “Lean Manufacturing” Methodology

Abstract

The study was conducted in order to optimize the production processes of NPF GENIX LLC, the leader of detergent and disinfectant production in the Republic of Mari El, by means of lean manufacturing basic tools. The main idea of lean manufacturing is to create a flow of values by exclusion from the production process components with zero contribution to the product manufacture. This approach allows discovering ways to reduce labor costs, new product developing time, product creating time, production and warehouse space reduction, and also guaranteeing the customer maximum quality at minimum cost. Based on practical analysis of the production of Nika Super detergent, the potential for improving the production process efficiency of NPF Genix LLC is analyzed. To do this, a test based on severity assessment of each factor related to losses in lean manufacturing: overproduction, excessive stocks, unnecessary transportation, excessive processing, unnecessary movements, and alteration, was conducted. Using lean manufacturing tools (mapping, “Spaghetti” diagram, inventory accumulation map,“5W+1H”, “Five Whys”), the process locations where the listed losses occur are identified and ways to improve the production process efficiency are proposed. Thus, using the value stream map, it was found that the process time was increased due to downtime and operations that do not create value; using the accumulation map, inventory accumulation sites were identified; due to the “Spaghetti” diagram, problems with a large extent of employee movements and incorrect layout of the work area were discovered.