Acme Alliance started our lean journey in 2001. Acme production facilities follow ‘standard work’ performance metrics and produce components in a value stream environment on globally, standardized equipment.
Value Stream Organization
- Acme Alliance's value stream production system is established to control process flow, reduce waste and improve quality.
- State of the Art Buhler Die Cast equipment provides the latest technologies and statistical-process control (SPC) methods.
Seven Waste
- Waiting - A person, a machine or a process. Overproduction - Making more than the client needs RIGHT NOW. Inventory - Any materila in our plant that we cannot sell RIGHT NOW. Overprocessing - Performing more than the client needs. Transport - Moving parts. Movement - Moving people. Rework - Making defects
Visual Management
- A technique in which information is communicated through visual signals.
- The design allows immediate recognition of production the process information, in order to increase efficiency and throughput.
- Acme utilizes 5S as part of visual management.
PDCA
- PDCA (Plan Do Check Adjust), is a four step management method used to control and continuously improve quality and production processes.
- Plan – Hypothesis; Do – Try; Check – Reflect; Adjust – Standardize.
- PDCA is best practiced with the use of the written word - on an A3 size sheet of paper.
Standard Work
- Standardization is the foundation of Kazien.
- Elements include: Takt Time - the rate at which parts must be made in process to meet customer demand. Work Sequence - the precise order in which an operator performs a task within the takt time. Standards - the equipment & materials required to keep the process operating smoothly.
Value Stream Mapping
- Learn to map Value and non-Value - Strive to Stability.
- Flow - Do whatever you can to create flow in your work.
- Pull - Produce only what our clients want and work to replenishment, not forecasts.
- Benchmark against perfection - an absolute reference.