Lean Production

Fight waste of resources with Lean Production

The goal of Lean Production is to eliminate waste in production. Overproduction, inventory, transportation routes, wait times, complicated processes, scrap and downtime cause significant extra costs. Resources in the form of materials, time and labor are wasted. We streamline your production processes with Lean Production and increase the productivity of your facility. Especially in the area of mass production the positive effects of process optimization through Lean Production are especially evident.

Identify cost drivers

Production is the heart of operating value creation. In order to continuously produce at a world class level important cost drivers must be identified. Potential savings can only be revealed with the right methods, which ensure long term maximum performance and competitiveness. As leading international management consultants we know the value of Lean Production:

• avoid mistakes
• eliminate waste
• establish continuous improvement

For us, Lean Production is the elimination of all unnecessary work steps and the significant reduction of processes. This can only be achieved through the highest possible optimization and standardization of all production processes. The greatest possible effect is achieved in Lean Production not in using individual measures but only through the combination of various management approaches to optimize production.

Lean Production tailored

Therefore our experienced management consultants choose the exact approaches from our Operational Excellence Toolbox which are tailored for your situation and company. With personalized Best-of-Best solutions we achieve sustainable results. To achieve these results through Lean Production we tailor our tested methods to your individual requirements. We combine and expand proven methods such as 5S, SMED or TPM with unique innovative concepts developed by our consultants.

Value creation is the centerpoint

Concentration on the essential in Lean Production means optimum utilization of resources. Core processes and all support processes necessary thereto must be identified and uncoupled from non-value-added activities.

Our interdisciplinary consulting teams analyze together with your employees the current state of your production processes and organization. Based on our cross-functional experience we quickly recognize the starting points for necessary changes using Lean Production. However, there are in every company individual requirements, which must be taken into account in the preparation of solutions.

Joint evaluation

Here the experience and close collaboration with your employees is especially important. All results are analyzed, documented and evaluated. They form the basis for the development of improvement plans and optimization scenarios, the impact of which can be evaluated using computer simulations.

Using Lean Management all waste of resources should be avoided, for example:

• Overproduction: Inventory costs, unclear sales potential
• Scrap: Loss in sales through quality defects
• High materials on hand, capital commitment, inventory costs
• Transport distances: Long distances increase the possibility of process problems
• Downtime due to poor planning, changeover or mistakes lowers productivity

Synergies through combination of methods

Our process optimization concept includes in part individual aspects of Lean Production, but achieves additional synergies through a combination of approaches.

• Unplanned downtime, quality defects and idle time affect the Overall Equipment Effectiveness/OEE. Productivity increases can be achieved through targeted countermeasures.
• Using our 5S concept, housekeeping, order and discipline for employees are integrated into the day-to-day tasks. Employee motivation is increased through the increase in individual responsibility. This is further strengthened through the introduction of continuous improvement processes such as Kaizen or Continuous Improvement Cycle.
• With improvements in facility and maintenance management through SMED and/or TPM improvements in breakdowns and changeover times can be sustained and rapid countermeasures can be implemented when problems occur.
• Through the combination of value stream analysis and facility planning , lean processes can be developed during the planning phase of a new or renovated production process.
• The combination of value stream and Kanban lowers the inventory needed for production through intelligent management as well as the throughput time of production.

Communication is essential

Vital for the success of process optimization through Lean Production is the early inclusion of management and affected employees. As leading management consultants we not only optimize your processes but also develop with you a transparent communication strategy. The responsibility of the individual employee increases when processes are streamlined. The new work structures increase the motivation of employees and offer new demands on your company culture through new quality management approaches and continuous improvement.

Therefore we not only support you during the planning and implementation of Lean Production, but jointly prepare with you employee development plans and management by objectives systems. Our goal is to create a learning organization which takes into account the knowledge and skills of all employees and which continuously advances the company culture, in order to permanently anchor Lean Production in your organization. Upon request we can also conduct training or coaching for your employees.

Factors for Success for Lean Production

In order to rigorously implement measures and avoid waste of resources, the following aspects of a comprehensive Lean Production system should be taken into account:

• Systems Engineering: Manufacturing engineering should be robust and not prone to breakdown. Fewer stoppages through optimized changeover times, production planning tailored to material flow and intelligent production control offer high process assurance.
• Work plan: Flexible use of employees in defined work groups and flat hierarchies increase the motivation and responsibilities of the individual worker. Job rotation, concentration on value creating activities and an open, non-punitive error culture strengthens the company and increases productivity.
• Quality management: Rejects, quality defects, production stoppages through defective maintenance all have a negative impact on the overall results. Standardized processes and routines for quality assurance and error checking provide for smooth production. Rigorous error management with direct causal studies and correction of defects as much as possible also stabilize the processes.
• Continuous Improvement: Successful quality management follows the principle „We want to improve – absolutely“. This is only possible in an environment, in which mistakes are regarded as opportunities for change and suggestions for improvements, regardless of where they originate, are taken seriously. Employees are the experts. This viewpoint requires a sustainable transformation in the company culture.
• Employees: Peak performance is only possible with qualified and motivated employees. The early inclusion of employees in the change process increases their acceptance. New work organization with clear jurisdiction and responsibility as well as specific qualification measures lowers the rate of errors and increases work satisfaction.
• Availability: All necessary production materials must be available in sufficient quantities and quality. At the same time inventories and transport paths must be reduced. To do this intelligent and flexible logistics and warehousing plans are necessary.
• Process orientation: The production process should be flexible and focused solely on value creation. That requires examination of all processes for their value creating contribution and discarding of processes that do not add value. Process orientation then results from the consequential optimization of the aforementioned factors of Lean Production.

Utilize Dynamic Processes

Implementation should as much as possible comprehensively utilize the dynamic of the processes without time and motivation losses to achieve rapid results through the optimized processes in Lean Production. As experienced management consultants we support you in the pilot program and implementation of the agreed upon measures as well as provide training or coaching plans for your employees.

Our Commitment to your Goals

TARGUS has continuously grown since our founding 15 years ago. We commit ourselves to your goals at our offices in Ratingen and Detroit and of course on-site at your company. We place high expectations on our work and results. Our clients know that and value

• our experience and technical capabilities
• team work as equals
• our systematic and transparent method of operation
• tailored project approaches
• our excellent results
• our consulting teams, which also are available post-project

You can trust our competence, experience and methods. We help our customers in trade and industry, wherever necessary – at your headquarters or plants, national or world-wide. The results speak for themselves. Be the best with TARGUS.