Lean Manufacturing Implementation Plan, Coursework Example

Lean manufacturing implementation plan

Objectives

1. To manufacture the latest model of Honda’s motorcycle named the Star-V max based on lean manufacturing
2. To develop initial implementation projects that target completion in an approximated time of four to six months.
3. To assign departmental work to the trained teams, after the collection of information regarding the production process and materials to be used.
4. To identify consumption level based on the research done on the target area

Tasks

The first task would be the initiation of the training program for the manufacturing and processing teams in the project. The training will take a maximum period of 4 weeks and would be conducted in sessions of 7 hours per day. Training is an essential part for any organization that aims at completing projects and implementing strategies. This is because it reduces rates of friction with other employees while promoting cooperation among members of a given team.

After the training program, the next milestone would be to understand the manufacturing products, materials and processes. This stage is vital for the smooth progression of activities, which facilitates successful implementation of the plan. Therefore, identification of all required resources and materials saves on time. The personnel responsible for this is the human resource, since it deals with the documentation of all the processes, which would include rework, options and scrap, the establishment of replenishment times and pull chains. The task is to be conducted for two weeks by the different departments involved in the task.

The manufacturing department would be responsible for identifying the manufacturing materials needed and the budget associated with the production materials. The process team would be given the task of completing PFDs, quantifying and documenting the complete processes regarding variables, generate first iteration of resource requirements, creating a mixed-product PFD and reviewing SOEs and process times by developing the process map. The team would be entirely responsible for all the manufacturing process throughout the period.

The materials team that consist of 10 members would be responsible for compiling the first iteration of demand volume for products, calculate the cost of kanban replenishment strategy, develop the kanban pull chains and identify the parts necessary for the kanban system. The task would take a period of 3 weeks maximum.

The manufacturing steering committee, which consists of 9 members, would be responsible for following up team training during the training period, review and update the master plan and achieve the consensus for products in the target area.

The third milestone consists of completing of some tasks allocated to the teams. This stage would be conducted after the initiation during the third month of the project. The main objectives of this milestone include the achievement of consensus, signing off of products, demands and the identified effective time for target area by the steering committee, completion of the SOE task, throughout variables and process times, and making the final selection regarding the parts of the kanban system and target’s area pull system.

The steering committee would be given the task of approving the selected products for the target market by the marketing team, approving the product demand for the area targeted, in this case, the demand estimates for motorcycle identified, and approving the mixed-product PFD.

The materials team, on the other hand, would be responsible for completing the selection of parts for Kanban system. The Kanban system to be used is the in process Kanban since it signals the time to produce another production. The other task would be the determination of the final cost regarding the replenishment strategy to be used in the manufacturing process.

The next milestone would be the development of the factory design. It entails the creation of facsimile lean manufacturing layout using the calculated resources that have been identified on the PFD. Here, the steering committee fives the final approval on the paper line layout together with the identified replenishment costs and reviews the master plan.

The materials team would be responsible for developing the Kanban system installation plan, establishing RIP locations on the final layout, and finalizing the cost strategy for the line start up. The process team task would include the completion of the process map resource calculations, creation of paper line layout, locating the IPKs together with the sequencing points for custom-made motorcycles, and developing a facility plan for line start ups.

The fifth milestone would include the development of a line start up. Here, the steering committee would be responsible for documenting all the follow up items and assigning responsibility for completion. Additionally, the team gives the final approval of the lean line start up operation. The materials team would have the task of validating the Kanban materials presented, as well as, exercising the two bin material Kanban system. The process team would validate the entire workstations layout and confirm the IPK placement at each station. This would be done for a period of 1 week.

The manufacturing line layout would consist of operations starting from team training then to understanding the product, processes and materials followed by estimating all the requirements for the motorcycle production and identifying the final factory design. It would also have the tasks assigned to the different teams in the workforce and the internalization of processes.

Managing the lean manufacturing line

During the motorcycle manufacturing process, the steering team would be responsible for managing the manufacturing line. This would be done elimination of waste, validation of the new line performance measures, minimization of inventory, accessing pull production from customers demand and implementing the obtained results as well as meeting customers’ requirements. The design of the motorcycles would also be developed in a manner which incorporates rapid changeover for easier management.