Process Optimization
Value Stream Design is used to align the flow of production with the value stream. But this approach has it’s limits. The point is that in many cases the customer demand exhibits greater variance than the production system may cope with. Beyond that a wide product range may contradict the application of “supermarkets” to level out the value stream. Thus other levers beyond lean thinking need to be pulled to ensure a high rate of on-time delivery without wasting resources. This includes:
- An adequate Forecasting- and Demand Planning-Process,
- the effective prevention of stock outs as well as
- a highly responsive framework for planning- and scheduling.
Depending on the complexity of the product- and manufacturing structure the application of IT-Tools may be benefitial beyond that. But only if beforehand all relevant processes are aligned properly with manufacturing.
