White Paper: The Lean Sprint Process 1-Week Lean Process for Small & Mid-Size Shops
Manufacturing inefficiencies are everywhere in small and mid-size shops. There are always challenges with getting skilled labor and capital constraints, leading shops to bolt the process and worker skill sets together to hit production volumes. These types of patchwork solutions introduce process waste, hindering productivity often without the team realizing it.
Lean manufacturing approaches can identify and reduce process waste. However, many teams lack expertise in lean methodologies, causing a resistance to changes they fear could disrupt their workflow and hurt throughput.
Turner Process Solutions has developed the Lean Sprint Process to introduce the concept of lean manufacturing into factories without significant disruption. This rapid, impactful approach to lean manufacturing is designed to deliver significant improvements quickly by tapping into the $100+ billion industrial automation market. This white paper will explain the Lean Sprint process, its benefits, and how it can be applied to enhance operations. We will also present case studies demonstrating this methodology's effectiveness and automation's role in optimizing lean processes.
Abstract
This whitepaper introduces the concept of rapid lean opportunities through process automation audits for small and mid-size manufacturing shops. It outlines a method for achieving significant improvements quickly—in a week vs. over a quarter—and establishes Turner Process Solutions as the pioneer of this approach. The paper will detail how a one-week engagement can deliver immediate 10% improvements through expert process auditing, analysis, and capital-free investment. In addition, we’ll detail how automation can deliver median results of 30% improvements on top of the first 10%.
Summary of Terminology
Lean Manufacturing Principles: Identifying and reducing waste in a manufacturing environment through process evaluation. "Lean" also boosts efficiency after the process waste is removed.
Automation Integration: Adding automation to a plant to connect various systems. Process automation significantly boosts productivity, reduces errors, and ensures consistent quality, and integrating systems is core to Industry 4.0.
Lean Sprint Methodology: The Lean Sprint Methodology delivers rapid improvements within a week, focusing on immediate 10% gains through expert process assessment. We look at each step in the process and identify an optimal plan to add automation in a high-ROI way.
Ideal State: A theoretical and unobtainable state guiding the process improvement approach. There's no reason to add the process step if it is not moving closer to the ideal state.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Tracking KPIs and analyzing data are essential for assessing the impact of the Lean Sprint methodology to deliver the 10% after a week.
Understanding Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing is a pragmatic approach to identifying and eliminating process waste through continuous improvement. It allows customer demand to pull production in pursuit of the ideal state. With its origins in the Toyota Production System (TPS), lean manufacturing focuses on delivering the "Iron Triangle:" perfect products at the highest throughput and lowest cost (good, fast, cheap). This goal creates more value for customers with fewer resources. Figure 1 illustrates the philosophy of the TPS.
Core Principles of the Toyota Production System
The figure shows the ideal state at the top: "highest quality, lowest cost, [etc.]." The lean principles move the process closer to that goal. Implementing just-in-time production driven by customer/market pull ensures each product can be sold and the shop will not have excess inventory.
Implementing lean manufacturing in small and mid-size shops can significantly improve efficiency and reduce waste due to the manual nature of many legacy processes. This reality is why industrial automation and shop-wise implementation are critical. Understanding how automation can deliver lean principles is the first step toward overcoming these obstacles and achieving a more efficient manufacturing process.
The Case for Automation in Lean Manufacturing
Process automation is the use of technology to perform tasks without human intervention. In manufacturing, automation can enhance operations, reduce errors, and increase productivity. Businesses can achieve higher efficiency and quality performance by integrating automation into lean manufacturing.
A 2018 study by McKinsey found that automation can increase productivity by up to 30% and reduce operating costs by up to 20%1. In addition, industrial automation improves consistency and quality by minimizing human error and ensuring the precise execution of tasks. Repetitive tasks are also a source of worker fatigue, affecting ergonomics. Removing those tasks from their workflow frees them up for higher-skill operations while protecting their physical health.
There is also data to support automating processes in lean manufacturing. For example, a survey by the International Society of Automation found that 74% of manufacturers who implemented automation found significant improvements in efficiency and productivity3. This data underscores the importance of combining automation with lean principles to maximize manufacturing performance.
Automation Advantages for Manufacturing Shops
Comparing all lean processes with automated ones underscores the advantages of automation. Traditional lean processes allow manual labor and continuous monitoring; it is about improving the end state. Automated lean processes leverage technology to achieve faster and more accurate results. This integration enhances the plant's operating efficiency while enabling shops to adapt more quickly to changes in demand and market dynamics.
The Lean Sprint Methodology
With the benefits of lean-through-process automation defined, the Lean Sprint Methodology is the fastest way to deliver these advantages to a shop. The process consists of three phases:
Audit
Implementation
Evaluation
The Lean Sprint focuses on quick-to-implement, impactful improvements that can boost efficiency and productivity while minimizing disruption to the existing manufacturing process.
Initial Process Audit
The Lean Sprint begins with a comprehensive process audit. Our team of experts thoroughly assesses current operations to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement, documenting takt time, areas of inefficiency and unused human or equipment capacity, and highly manual steps. As a result, the audit addresses various aspects of the manufacturing process, including workflow, equipment utilization, and quality control. The audit provides a clear roadmap for implementing lean improvements by pinpointing specific opportunities.
While the audit is a logical first step, knowing where and how to look at a manufacturing process is the advantage a third-party team of experts can provide. They will look at a system with a fresh perspective, without the predispositions from known opportunities the internal team takes for granted.
Identification of 10% Immediate Improvement Opportunities
The next phase of the Lean Sprint involves identifying opportunities for immediate improvement. This step focuses on achieving quick wins that can deliver a 10% improvement in efficiency within the one-week engagement. Like a Pareto analysis, there are usually some obvious areas where automation could significantly help.
Strategies to identify these quick wins include optimizing workflows, reviewing travel patterns of raw materials and operators, identifying downtime, and implementing basic automation solutions. Real-life examples of immediate improvements include streamlining assembly lines, reorganizing workstations for a more natural flow, and automating repetitive tasks like deburring or trimming excess material from a blank.
Long-term 30% Improvement Strategies
While the Lean Sprint aims to deliver immediate results, it also lays the foundation for long-term improvements. The shop can capture 10% savings after the first week and receive a roadmap for sustained optimization. The median expectation is a 30% improvement over time. Continuous monitoring and optimization are the primary tools needed to achieve these long-term goals. By regularly reviewing, refining, and assessing additional processes, businesses can expand the gains achieved during the Lean Sprint.
Step-by-Step Guide to Implementation
Lean Sprint Process
Implementing the Lean Sprint methodology requires planning, execution, and engagement by the business and technical teams. Below is a step-by-step outline of the critical actions and resources needed to carry out a successful Lean Sprint within a one-week timeframe (lead roles in parentheses):
Preparation and Planning (Shop Owner/Ops Lead): Establish clear objectives, gather necessary resources, and identify the team to work with our experts.
Process Audit (TPS, shop function experts): Our team thoroughly assesses shop operations and is informed by the respective functional leads. We join operators at their workstations, observing their approach, and engage with them to understand what parts of their process cause them the biggest headaches – both in their opinion and from what we see.
Quick Wins Identification (TPS): We will Identify, propose, and prioritize the optimization you can take to boost efficiency and immediately capture a 10% improvement.
Implementation (TPS): We guide your team through the process you would take to purchase and install automation equipment, and we can teach your experts how to use it once the equipment arrives.
Evaluation (TPS, Ops Lead): We help your Operations Lead define and measure the impact of the improvements to report to the owners or business. Through this process, we also develop a roadmap for long-term improvement through additional automation addition. Payback period, time savings, quality, and cost all play a role in these metrics (KPIs are detailed in-depth in Section 6).
Case Studies
Turner Process Solutions has implemented the Lean Sprint at several customer shops. Below are two case studies showcasing its application (customer names removed for confidentiality).
Small Manufacturing Shop
Initial Challenges: A shop faced inefficiencies in existing measurement devices which led to high scrap rates, and poor utilization of resources. This process deficiency led to the shop filling a scrap cart containing about $2,000 worth of wasted material per week.
Implementation of Lean Sprint: Following a comprehensive process audit as the first step of the Lean Sprint, TPS identified an encoder coupled with automated cutting that would eliminate the scrap. In addition to identifying quick wins, such as reorganizing workstations, we proposed the encoder system with a capital cost of $10,000. By eliminating the scrap, the cost savings paid back the shop in less than five weeks. The shop realizes those cost savings indefinitely, and following Lean Sprint, our team laid out the roadmap for long-term optimization for the shop.
Immediate and Long-term Results: The shop achieved powerful results:
The scrap reduction delivered a 12% efficiency improvement in 5 weeks
Efficiency grew to 60% over the following six months.
Case Study 1 Scorecard
Mid-Size Manufacturing Shops
Initial Challenges: The shops struggled with compressed air energy consumption due to inefficiency and air leakage, leading to high operational costs.
Implementation of Lean Sprint: The Lean Sprint began with the process audit, where our team assessed and measured the shop's compressed air energy consumption to identify process waste. We determined that leaks and energy inefficiency were two primary opportunities for energy cost savings over the course of the projects. Underperforming control systems can also negatively impact energy utilization. An automation opportunity existed for the control system, a source of potential longer-term improvement.
Immediate and Long-term Results: Substantial results came out of this optimization at two different sites as well:
TPS found that the first shop’s annual energy cost from the continued use of an existing air compressor was higher than the cost of a new, more efficient unit. Energy cost savings paid back the new compressor cost in 9 months.
The utilization ratio of the air compressor in the second shop was 100%, leading the operations team to begin planning for a second unit. However, TPS found substantial leakage in the compressor system; fixing those released a 30% energy cost savings back to the factory. In addition, the utilization rate dropped to 70% without the leaks, yielding the cost avoidance of a new piece of equipment.
Case Study 2 Scorecard
Tools and Technologies for Lean Sprints
Implementing the Lean Sprint methodology requires various tools and technologies to optimize processes and achieve rapid improvements.
Types of Tools and Technologies
TPS uses three classes of tools to enable Lean Sprint audits to uncover opportunities and deliver improvement to shops: process, automation, and data analysis.
Process Auditing Tools: Software solutions for mapping and analyzing workflows, measuring time, distance, downtime, and other waste sources.
Automation Technologies: Equipment and software for automating repetitive tasks and quality control checks. These technologies include programmable automation, inventory management, predictive maintenance, and data entry automation.
Data Analysis Tools: Tools for collecting and analyzing performance data to identify the from-to impact of process improvement and automation. Data analysis tools help to baseline a process and measure success with each improvement step.
Importance of Selecting the Right Tools
Selecting the right tools and technologies fuels the success of Lean Sprint. Criteria for tool selection include ease of integration, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Some examples of the tools described above offer insights into how the right tools can significantly enhance the outcomes of the Lean Sprint process.
Examples of Popular Tools and Technologies
Software Solutions for Lean Manufacturing: Examples include Agileplace for process mapping and Businessmap for workflow management. Agileplace allows Ops leaders to track and manage workflow visually, from strategy to delivery. Businessmap offers a full-package solution to consolidate Kanban measurement tools.
Automation Equipment: Examples include pneumatics and robotics for assembly tasks, cobots to augment human welders, and automated inspection systems for quality control.
Data Analysis Tools: Examples include Tableau or Ignition for data visualization and Minitab for statistical analysis. The currency of the IoT is data, but it's only transformative through effective (and rapid) analysis and implementation in the factory.
Measuring Success
Measuring the success of the Lean Sprint methodology involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and analyzing data to assess the impact of the implemented improvements. Some examples of KPIs Turner Process Solutions uses in the Lean Sprint include:
Cycle Time: The time required to complete a process from start to finish.
Throughput: The number of units produced within a specific timeframe.
First Pass Quality: The percentage of products that meet quality standards on the first attempt.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): A measure of equipment performance, availability, and quality. Balancing quality, throughput, and cost are the keys to maximizing OEE, a critical Operations metric. Comparing the OEE at baseline with the solutions defined by the Lean Sprint can be a powerful incentive for the shop to invest in automation.
Measuring Immediate and Long-term Improvements
Developing tools and methods for data collection and analysis is essential for measuring the success of the Lean Sprint methodology. Real-world processes can use time-tracking software to measure cycle time and takt time, while data analysis tools can monitor throughput and OEE.
Turner Process Solutions – Your Expert Technical Partner
Who is Turner Process Solutions?
Turner Process Solutions is a leader in creating rapid lean manufacturing and process automation wins for small and mid-size shops and can help you execute the move to automation through our technical expertise. Optimizing processes is our specialty, and we work with system integrators to get the results rapidly.
Turner Process Solutions has a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions that enhance efficiency and productivity–delivering sustainability wins simultaneously. With expertise in lean manufacturing and process automation, TPS has developed the Lean Sprint methodology, which is well-suited to help you realize savings through process optimization and automation.
Overview of Services Offered
Lean Manufacturing Consulting: Expert guidance on implementing lean principles and optimizing processes in verticals like:
Process & material handling
Industrial automation & controls
Functional safety analysis
Systems integration project management
Plant energy cost savings
Process Automation Solutions: Process instrumentation/sensors to monitor, with data collection/historian for process analytics, with statistical process controls for process feedback for quality control.
Custom Turnkey Systems: Tailored solution systems that meet the specific needs of each business to deliver the best results possible.
Turner Process Solutions offers several key advantages, including:
We specialize in small and mid-size shops. Automation can help everyone, but automating small shop processes is very different from larger ones.
Proven Track Record: Successful case studies and satisfied clients.
Commitment to Customer Success: We will identify a 10% improvement immediately and help you implement the optimizations while training the team on how to look at their process for continuous optimization. In addition, we will recommend automation solutions for longer-term sustained savings. Turner Process Solutions is dedicated to helping our shop partners achieve and exceed their goals.
Innovative Approaches: We are experts in the latest technologies and approaches, ensuring we bring that market knowledge directly into your shop on day 1.
Impact of Lean Sprint
The Lean Sprint methodology helps small and mid-size manufacturing shops to think differently by scrutinizing each process step for inefficiency. By implementing this approach, shops can reduce operating costs and boost throughput, enabling them to compete more effectively in the market. The combination of lean + process automation is how small shops can step up to more significant facility performance metrics.
📞: Schedule a call today for more information!
References
McKinsey & Company. (2018). "Automation in Manufacturing: Productivity and Operating Cost Benefits."
McKinsey & Company (2023). "Is Industrial Automation Headed for a Tipping Point?"
International Society of Automation. (2019). "Survey on the Impact of Automation in Manufacturing."
Tableau. "Data Visualization Tools for Manufacturing."
Minitab. "Statistical Analysis Tools for Lean Manufacturing."
