Maciej Piekowski
Maciej Piekowski
Maciej Piekowski
COMPANIES
Maciej Piekowski
PhD student
Wrocaw University of Economics
Komandorska 118/120, Wrocaw, Poland
[email protected]
ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
Waste measurement,
The paper is dedicated to answer the problem of lean manufacturing, lean
metrics
measuring waste in companies, which are
implementing Lean Manufacturing concept. Lack of
complex identification, quantification an visualization of ARTICLE INFO
waste significantly impedes Lean transformation Received 07 June 2014
Accepted 17 June 2014
efforts. This problem can be solved by a careful Available online1 December 2014
1. Introduction
Lean Management, originated from the Toyota Production System, is nowadays
one of the most dominating management philosophies, both in industrial and
service environment. One of the reasons for such a success is its simplicity. The
whole concept is based on a common sense idea of so called waste. Removing
it is the very essence of Lean Management.
Despite seemingly simple principles, eliminating waste is not an easy task. Many
companies, even those with many years of Lean experience, still struggle to
clear the waste out of their processes. It turns out, that the most difficult part is
not removing waste itself, but identifying and highlighting it, which should
precede the process of elimination. This issues can be overcome by
implementing a proper waste measurement system.
There are three main conditions for effectively working waste measurement
system:
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MACIEJ PIEKOWSKI, International Journal of Lean Thinking Volume 5, Issue 1(December 2014)
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http://blog.toyota.co.uk/muda-muri-mura-toyota-production-system
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MACIEJ PIEKOWSKI, International Journal of Lean Thinking Volume 5, Issue 1(December 2014)
to the success of the Toyota Production System? Lets take a closer look at each of
them.
2.2.2 Muri
Muri means overburden or unreasonableness. It is associated with waste of
overloading equipment, facility or people resources beyond its capacity. The overload
puts employees and machines into unnecessary stress, reducing their ability to
perform. Muri can be also identified as the exact opposite of overburden the
underutilization of man and equipment, which causes long periods of idle time.
There are three main causes of Muri:
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Lean Lexicon
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2.2.3 Mura
Mura means variation or unevenness. It refers to waste of unevenness in
production volume. It may take two different forms:
Variation in production scheduling,
Uneven production workload and pace of work.
One of main causes of Mura is the batch logic, represented by many companies. The
philosophy of producing in big batches aims at maximizing utilization of key resources
and minimizing cost per unit. It creates however problems with flexibility, hindering
companys ability to react to constant changes of customer demand.
Batch organizations, in order to protect themselves from the variation in demand,
often build a buffer stock, producing more units than necessary. By trying to
compensate the variation, they unintentionally increase an actual fluctuation in a
production volume. As a consequence, the further a process is from a root of the
fluctuation, the bigger unevenness in production volume. This phenomenon is called
the bull-whip effect a situation where a small variation in demand at the end of the
value stream (customer) leads to high changes in production volume in the earlier
stages (production processes).
Although Mura is frequently seen in many companies, this type of waste is often
ignored by management teams. It is a big mistake, because variation in production
volume can be a common cause of both Muri and Muda:
Muri - fluctuation due to extreme highs and lows in production scheduling or
uneven work pace can result in periods of overload of people and machines.
Constant changes in schedules put a lot of pressure on resources, reducing
efficiency of employees and increasing possibility of machine breakdowns. It
creates also long periods of idle time, when machines and employees are not
properly utilized.
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MACIEJ PIEKOWSKI, International Journal of Lean Thinking Volume 5, Issue 1(December 2014)
MURA MURA
Variation in
production Uneven workload/
scheduling pace of work
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http://www.toyota-global.com/company/vision_philosophy/toyota_production_system/
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The following sections present a suggestion of waste metrics, which can be used
to support waste elimination efforts. The metrics are divided into two categories: passive
waste (which refers to waste in standards) and active waste (which refers to waste in
action). The differentiation is necessary in order to distinguish waste created in the
planning and production phases. Such an approach should provide a complex way to
measure and quantify Muda, Muri and Mura in processes.
Before the passive waste metrics can be introduced, it is important to distinguish the
difference terms like value stream, process and process step. The correlation between
all three of this is illustrated in the figure 2., where value stream consists of processes
and each process consists of steps.
Value Stream
Based on this selection, the three different scope levels in waste calculation will be
distinguished during further calculations:
1. Operator level analyzing waste in all process steps performed by one operator.
2. Process level analyzing waste in all process steps performed, by one or more
operators, which the single process consist of. If the process consist of only one
operator, the process level is the same as the operator level.
3. Value stream level analyzing waste in all processes, which the value stream
consist of.
The passive waste measurement should be conducted for a chosen value
stream. It requires collecting data at a high level of detail, as it will investigate not
only all processes, but also all steps which they consist of. Because the data
collecting process can be highly time consuming, it should be performed periodically,
after significant changes or improvements in the process. The following information
are required to calculate the passive waste metrics:
C/T - Cycle Time of all process steps, where Cycle Time is understood as time
needed to finish one process step of a single product unit,
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MACIEJ PIEKOWSKI, International Journal of Lean Thinking Volume 5, Issue 1(December 2014)
workload - standard stream.
deviation in operators
cycle times within a
value stream
x workload - average
operators cycle time
within a value stream
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MACIEJ PIEKOWSKI, International Journal of Lean Thinking Volume 5, Issue 1(December 2014)
The 3 Mus metrics identify waste hidden in poorly assigned workload and
work standards. By quantification of Mura, Muri and Muda it is possible to verify
current state problems, set new goals and monitor the progression. In order to
reduce the value of each metric, company should focus its efforts on leveling the
workload, adjusting it to the takt time and reducing non-value added activities.
DL - daily Direct Labor Time of each process, where Direct Labor Time is
understood as the actual time spent on performing value added and non-value
added process steps.
S/T Standard time of each process, where Standard Time is understood as
expected time needed to finish particular production process.
A/T daily Available Time of each process, where Available Time is calculated
as number of shifts multiplied by 8 hours minus planned breaks and downtime.
D/T daily unplanned Downtime of each process.
R/T daily Rework time.
WIP - daily Work-In-Process in a process.
SWIP standard daily Work-In-Process in a process.
Due to big amount of needed data and high collection frequency, it would be quite
difficult to gather this information only with pen and paper. Fortunately, the basic ERP
systems allow us to easily collect all information listed above. Once the data is
gathered, it is possible to calculate the 3 Mus metrics. Table 2 presents a suggestion
of formulas, which can be used to calculate the active waste metrics.
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As seen in the table, all active waste metrics can be calculated based on
seven simple information items presented above. Mura metric should be calculated
weekly, based on the data form the previous week, whereas Muri and Muda metrics
should be calculated daily.
Muda metrics were divided into five types, as this kind of waste is the most
common on a shop floor. All of the metrics enable us to identify waste, which occur
during the production process. Thanks to their quantifiable nature, it is possible to
compere results from different processes, control abnormalities, monitor trends and
improvement.
Although proper identification and quantification of waste is very important to
the efficiently working waste measurement system, it could not be completed if not
for one more aspect response standards. Without it, the quantified metrics of the 3
Mus will be nothing more than useless data. That is why, abnormalities response
standards are the third and last pillar of the reliable waste measurement system.
4. RESPONSE STANDARDS
The waste measurement system, as well as any other measurements system,
should be introduced for two main reasons: to fully understand the current state
conditions and support decision making process. Gathering data should be therefore
inseparably connected with analysis, leading to taking proper actions and decisions.
Unfortunately, this common sense idea seems to be forgotten in many companies,
where metrics and indicators are calculated just to fill up periodical reports. In result,
no response actions are taken and the effort to gather data is lost. To prevent this
situation from happening, building countermeasures standards into a waste
measurement system is a necessity.
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Initiation
Plan
Act Do
Check
Initiation
The first step of the response standard is to determine initiators of the improvement
or problem solving process. The most common way of setting the initiation points is
defining the borderline levels of each controlled metric. Every time the waste metric
value is below or above the accepted level, it should immediately trigger the first step
of the PDCA cycle Plan.
Plan
The goal of this step is to conduct a careful analysis of the problem which initiated
the PDCA cycle and create plan for countermeasures. This phase should start with
listing all potential reasons of the problem and continue with finding the root cause.
Once the root cause is found, an action plan should be prepared to ensure
elimination of it. During this step the tools like 5xWhy, Ishikawa Diagram or
Brainstorming can be used.
Do
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The action plan should be implemented as fast as possible. Right tools and
equipment needs to be provided and implementation leader should be designated to
ensure timely and completed implementation. It is important to supervise the
completion of the plan to make sure that arrangements are being followed.
Check
The main goal for the Check phase is to verifying the performance of the previous
step by checking the effectiveness of used countermeasures. The values of waste
metrics before and after should be compared in order to verify if they are back on a
desired level.
Act
After a lesson learned from the previous step, the Act step should ensure that the
corrective action are taken. In order to do so, proper standards should be introduced,
which ensure permanent elimination of a problem. The standards should be
constantly monitored and improved if needed.
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Analysis of the current state Yamazumi should initiate the response process
for the 3 Mus passive waste metrics. Yamazumi chart highlights all abnormalities
found in processes which should trigger the PDCA cycle. The first phase of the cycle
Plan, needs to put emphasis of creating a future state Yamazumi charts, with
desired values of Muda, Mura and Muri. This should go hand in hand with preparing
an action plan to achieve defined goals. During the Do step of the PDCA cycle, the
action plan needs to be implemented. Check phase should verify, if the future state
goals are achieved. The last step of the cycle Act should introduce corrective
actions and create standards to secure all successful improvements. An example of
a future state Yamazumi is presented in Fig. 5.
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MACIEJ PIEKOWSKI, International Journal of Lean Thinking Volume 5, Issue 1(December 2014)
5. CONCLUSIONS
The issue of waste is a cornerstone of the Lean philosophy, as it is
inseparably connected with the two pillars of the Toyota Production System. First of
them Just-in-Time, can be achieved only by a complex elimination of the three
types of waste: Mura, Muri and Muda. This in turn, will be possible when a proper
waste measurement system is built into processes, as a part of Jidoka concept.
The paper introduced a suggestion of a waste measurement system, as a
solutions to difficulties, which most companies struggle to overcome: identifying
entire waste, quantifying it and using gain knowledge to improve. The paper stresses
the significance of complex waste analysis, which contains not only Muda, but also
Mura and Muri. Presented formulas for the 3 Mus metrics calculations can be useful
in many companies and provide them with important information about their
processes.
The presented waste measurement system, if properly applied, may bring
plenty of benefits to a company. It is necessary however to be aware about its
limitations. The system is designed to use mostly in companies with some lean
experience. It will work properly only when standard work is developed and it is
possible to calculate takt and cycle times. Additionally, it is worth noticing, that
application of the system requires much bigger effort in a high variety/low volume
environment.
Nonetheless, the quantified waste measurement system, based on principles
presented in the paper, has the potential to bring plenty of benefits and contribute to
significant reduction of the 3 Mus. It provides company with reliable indicators of
problems within processes, quickly signals any abnormalities and creates
environment promoting continuous improvement. This leads to conclusion, that
waste measurement is a key component needed to achieve a successful Lean
implementation. After all, as Lord Kelvins famous quote says: "If you can not
measure it, you can not improve it."
REFERENCE
Liker J. K. The Toyota Way - 14 Management Principles from the Worlds Greatest
Manufacturer. McGraw-Hill: New York; 2004.
Marchwinski C., Shook J. Lean Lexicon: A Graphical Glossary for Lean Thinkers.
Lean Enterprise Institute; 2004
McManus W. Muda, Muri, Mura Toyota Production System guide, available at:
http://blog.toyota.co.uk/muda-muri-mura-toyota-production-system#.U5Itmvl_tcg
[Retrieved: 25.05.2014]
Modig N., Ahlstorm P. This is Lean: Resolving the Efficiency Paradox. Rheologica
Publishing; 2012.
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Womack J. P., Jones D. T. Lean Thinking Banish Waste and Create Wealth in
Your Corporation, 2nd ed. Free Press: New York; 2003.
Womack J. P., Jones D. T., Ross D. The Machine That Changed the World. Rawcon
Associates: New York; 1990.
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