Lean Manufacturing 精益生产

Most people in industry today recognize that lean manufacturing helps manufacturers and plants improve efficiency by eliminating waste in the production process.

当今, 行业中大多数的人们都认识到了精益生产是通过对在生产过程中的浪费进行消除来帮助制造商们和工厂来提高效率。

But what exactly is lean manufacturing, and how is it implemented?

但是，准确地说，精益生产是什么，而它是如何来贯彻的呢?

The first reality to keep in mind with lean is that it isn’t one particular process. It’s an adaptable set of tools that can be applied to any system of manufacturing—whether that system produces valves, flowerpots or magazines. No matter which tools are used, however, manufacturers implementing lean into their processes will start by identifying waste in the process (known in lean parlance as muda). The focus then becomes elimination of muda bit by bit until production is as streamlined and efficient as possible.

实际上，首先要记住的是，精益并不是一种特别的过程。它是一套适用的工具，它应用于任何的生产制造系统 — 无论那个系统是生产阀门、花盆，或是杂志。然而，无论使用了哪种工具，将精益贯彻进其过程中的制造商们都将首先对在其过程中的浪费进行确定(在精益中的说法为muda)。然后，其重点就变成了一点一点地消除浪费muda，直到生产尽可能地成为合理化和有效率。

Figure 1. The development of lean manufacturing (Image courtesy of The Eagle Group)

图1. 精益生产制造的发展(图片由该鹰集团提供)

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

背景与历史

Lean manufacturing has roots in Henry Ford’s assembly line, but Japanese entrepreneurial scientists—predominantly those working at Toyota Motors—are credited with developing many of the lean tools in use today (Figure 1). While the term, “lean manufacturing,” wasn’t coined until 1988, Toyota started developing methodologies for eliminating waste as early as the 1930s.

精益生产制造起源于Henry Ford亨利 福特的装配线, 但日本的创业者科学家们 – 主要是那些在丰田汽车公司工作的人们 – 如今那些在使用发展该精益工具的人们都相信(图1)。虽然在1988年之前，该术语 “精益生产”还未被创造，但是, Toyota丰田公司早在1930年代就开始了对这个方法进行开发来消除浪费。

FORD’S ASSEMBLY LINE

福特的装配流水线

Henry Ford’s manufacturing process was revolutionary for its time. By implementing what he called “flow production,” characterized most visually by the assembly line, Ford’s automotive fabrication plant could churn out car after car with a high degree of quality and precision. But flow production had its flaws, namely the lack of adaptability.

Henry Ford亨利·福特的生产制造过程在当时是革命性的。通过对他所谓的“流水性生产”(flow production) 进行贯彻实施，该装配线十分形象化地成为了特点，Ford福特的汽车制造工厂可以用高度的质量与精度生产出一辆又一辆的汽车。但是，流水性生产也有其缺陷，即缺乏适应性。

If Model Ts were the only car Ford ever made, the company could have stopped right there. However, the problem of variety in product soon showed up. While flow production all but eliminated human error and manufacturing defects, it was nearly impossible to use the same processes to manufacture anything but that beautiful, black Model T.

如果Ts 型车是Ford福特曾经制造过的唯一车型，该公司可能已经就此打住。然而，很快产品就出现了多种问题。尽管流水性生产几乎消除了人为的错误和制造缺陷，但是，使用了同样的过程几乎不可能来制造除了那漂亮的黑色T型车之外的任何车辆。

TOYOTA’S SYSTEM

丰田的系统

With Ford’s system as a starting point, engineers at Toyota Motors (then a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works) began perfecting the flow production concept. The system that the company developed, called the Toyota Production System (TPS), formed the basis for modern lean manufacturing.

以Ford福特的系统作为起始点，在Toyota Motors丰田汽车(然后的丰田自动织机厂的一个部门)的工程师们开始了对该流水性生产的概念进行完善。该公司发展了的系统，称为Toyota丰田生产系统(TPS)，为现代化的精益生产构成了基础。

Since TPS emerged, lean has become as academic as it is practical with hundreds of papers and books written about it. In fact, the term, “lean manufacturing,” was coined in an MIT master’s thesis.

自从出现了TPS以来，实际上关于精益的许多论文与书籍都已经变成了学术性。事实上，该术语“精益生产”在MIT麻省理工学院的一篇硕士论文中被创造了出来。

A wide variety of approaches to lean now revolve around different sets of tools, and these tools are constantly in flux. You could say, then, that lean manufacturing is the intersection of theoretical and applied science in manufacturing.

现在，围绕着对精益的处理出现了各种各样的不同工具设置，而这些工具都不断地处于变化之中。于是，你们可以说，这个精益生产是理论和应用科学在制造业中的交叉应用。

While quite a lot has changed over the decades—both in manufacturing technology and the products themselves—the basic goals of lean manufacturing remain the same:

虽然在过去的几十年里 — 制造技术及其产品本身都已经发生了很大的变化 — 但该精益生产的基本目标仍然是相同的:

Eliminate waste消除了浪费

Increase throughput speed提高了吞吐速度

Improve quality of products提高了产品质量

FIVE LEAN TOOLS TO KNOW

要了解的五种精益工具

For any company interested in going lean, the most important thing is to learn what tools and ways of thinking are available to help. While dozens of lean tools and methods have been identified, the following five concepts provide a solid basis for understanding the lean manufacturing mindset. None of these tools is all-inclusive as the way to go lean, but rather they provide a different way of thinking that can be put into an individual company’s processes and methods.

对在前进中的精益感兴趣的任何公司，其最为重要的事情是要理解哪些工具和思维方式是可以用来进行帮助的。虽然已经确定了许多的精益工具和精益方法，但是，以下的五种概念为对精益生产理念进行理解提供了可靠的基础。这些工具并不都是对精益进行理解的方法，但它们都提供了一种不同的思维方式，可以放置进各个公司的过程和方法中。

FIGURE 2. 5S STEPS5S 图2. 5S 步骤

5S is often the launching point for businesses just starting out to implement lean manufacturing. Much of 5S seems to be common sense, but implementing these steps can result in significant improvements in efficiency and quality. Just having the structure of working on these areas can give a plant the right direction. The five steps (Figure 2) are:

5S往往是企业刚开始对精益生产进行实施的出发点。许多5S似乎都是常识，但对这些步骤进行实施可以显著导致对效率和质量进行提高。只在结构上致力于这些领域就可以导致给工厂以正确的方向。这五个步骤(图2)是:

Sort: Every workspace is organized by separating the necessary (materials, tools) from the unnecessary (waste, scrap, redundancies) and removing anything unnecessary from the production area.

分类: 每个工作空间都通过将必要的(材料、工具)东西与不必要的东西(废物、废料、冗余)进行分离，并将生产区域中的任何不必要的东西进行去除。

Set in order: The necessary inputs of production (equipment and materials) are laid out in an easy, intuitive manner.

按顺序排列: 生产的必要输入(设备和材料)以一种简易而直观的方式进行排列。

Shine: The workspace is cleaned, and clutter is removed.

清理：工作空间打扫清理，而杂物都予以清理。

Standardize: A list of instructions for repeating the first three steps is made, so that any employee who arrives in the workspace knows exactly how to proceed.

标准化: 制定一份对前三个步骤进行重复的指令清单，这样，任何进入该工作空间的员工都确实知道了如何开始进行。

Sustain: This is what’s called the “rinse and repeat” phase. In other words, it is ensuring that sort, set in order and shine occur on a regular and ongoing basis, so that the workspace stays clean and clutter-free at all times.

维持: 这就是所谓的“漂洗和重复”阶段。换言之，它确保了在定期和持续的基础上产生那种分类、设置顺序，以及清理，这样，工作空间始终保持干净和无–杂乱。

GEMBA

工作场所

Gemba translates roughly to “the real place,” referring to the physical space where the company creates value. For manufacturers, Gemba encourages executives and upper-level managers to spend as much time as possible on the shop floor, interacting with employees and witnessing the production process firsthand.

工作场所大致转化为“真实的地方”，关于实体空间，即公司创造价值的地方。对于制造商们来说，工作场所激励了高管和高–层管理人员们尽可能多时地呆在车间里，与员工们进行互动，并对生产过程进行直接目睹。

By adopting a culture of Gemba, companies can improve in several ways, including:

通过对工作场所的文化进行采用，公司企业们可以在以下几个方面进行改进，包括:

Building communication chains between the shop floor and the executive offices, often by performing “Gemba Walks,” or managerial and executive visits to production facilities

在车间和执行办公室之间建立沟通链，通常由“工作场所散步”来施行，或者由管理和执行人员对生产设施的视察来施行

Promoting a more thorough understanding of issues that affect production, such as worker skills, equipment performance and materials handling.

促进对影响生产的问题进行更为彻底的理解，比如工人的技能、设备的性能，以及材料的处理。

KAIZEN

经营方法的改善

One of the cornerstones of lean manufacturing is Kaizen, which focuses on continuous improvement in the manufacturing process. While Gemba promotes a more thorough understanding of the production process, Kaizen continues by helping the company orient itself toward ongoing, incremental improvement. To implement Kaizen, a company must:

精益制造的基石之一是经营方法的改善，它聚焦了在制造过程中的持续改进。虽然工作场所通过对其生产过程进行理解而较多地改善了，但经营方法的改善通过对该公司本身朝向仍在行进而继续改进的方向进行帮助持续了。为了贯彻经营方法的改善，一个公司必须:

Promote communication between shop-floor employees and management, often by adopting Gemba practices

往往通过对工作场所的实践采用，促进了在车间员工们和管理层之间的沟通，

Regularly request feedback from employees on day-to-day processes, equipment status and workplace atmosphere

定期地从员工们处要求对日常的流程、设备的状态，以及工作场所的气氛进行反馈

Separate, record and quantify all aspects of production to more easily identify patterns and improve accountability

对生产的各个方面进行分离、记录，以及量化，以便较为容易地识别模式并改进责任

Continually stay abreast of technological advancements that may improve or facilitate production

不断地跟上技术进步的最新步伐，以提高或促进生产

TAKT TIME

节拍时间

Takt time is the average time allowed for manufacturing a product to match customer demand. Takt time can be calculated with a simple formula:

节拍时间是为制造对客户的需求进行符合的产品所允许的平均时间。节拍时间可以用一个简单的公式进行计算:

takt time = time available (per period)/customer demand (per period)

节拍时间 = 可用的时间(每周期)/客户需求(每周期)

The resulting value gives manufacturers an idea of how often they should schedule the start of production for each part.

该产生的结果值给予制造商们一个想法，即对于每一个另部件，他们应该有多长的时间来开始计划安排生产。

Implementation of takt time motivates manufacturers to eliminate waste in the production system by zeroing in on bottlenecks and to remove non-value-adding work from the process.

节拍时间的实施激励了制造商们，通过对瓶颈问题与在其过程中的非–增值工作进行锁定，来去除在其生产系统中的浪费。

TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE

全面的生产性维护

Total productive maintenance (TPM) is an equipment-focused tool that aims to eliminate four factors: breakdowns, slow operation, defects and accidents. Training and scheduling are two important aspects of TPM, which focuses equally on equipment operators and on management.

全面的生产性维护(TPM)是一种聚焦于–设备的工具，旨在对四个因素进行消除: 故障、运行缓慢、缺陷，以及事故。培训和计划是TPM的两个重要方面，它同样地关注于设备的操作员和管理。

The following are the “pillars” of TPM:

以下是TPM的“支柱”:

Autonomous maintenance: Operators are made responsible for cleaning and maintaining equipment.

自主的维护: 操作者负责对设备进行清洗和维护。

Planned maintenance: Maintenance tasks are scheduled based on likely periods between failures.

计划的维护: 根据在故障间隙期之间的可能时间来计划安排维护的任务。

Quality maintenance: Error detection is added to the production workflow, and root-cause analysis is used to solve any problems.

有质量的维护: 在其生产流程中加入了对错误的检测，并使用了根源分析来解决任何的问题。

Focused improvement: Collaboration to regularly achieve small process improvements is encouraged.

重点的改进: 鼓励对定期取得小流程改进的合作。

Early equipment management: Knowledge of failures and issues to improve installation or production of new equipment is applied.

早期的设备管理: 应用对故障和问题的知识，来改进新设备的安装或生产。

Training and education: This is ensuring everyone, from headquarters to the shop floor, is equipped with the knowledge to implement TPM principles.

培训和教育: 这是确保每一个人，从总部到车间，都具备有对TPM进行实施的原则知识。

Safe and healthy environment: Hazards and risks to all employees are minimized wherever possible.

安全健康的环境: 无论在什么地方，尽可能对所有的员工，都要将危害和风险降到最低。

TPM in administration: The seven guidelines listed above should be applied not just to plant employees but to company administration.

TPM 管理层 : 上面所列出的7条准则应该予以应用，它们不仅只适用于工厂的员工们，而且也适用于公司的管理层。

ACHIEVING LEAN SUCCESS

实现精益的成功

Just as no two companies are alike, no two lean journeys follow the same path. Every lean tool must be adapted to the particular type of production that is occurring, to the size of the company and to the facility’s space and challenges. There are, however, a few common practices that can increase a company’s chances of achieving lean success.

正如没有相同的两家公司那样，所遵循的精益之旅也没有同一的路径。每种精益工具都必须适合于所正在发生的特定类型生产、适合于其公司的规模，并适合于该工厂设施的空间和挑战。然而，有一些一般的实践做法，它可以增加一家公司对实现精益成功的机会。

START WITH 5S

开始 5S

5S is often the first lean tool implemented because it’s easy to adapt to just about any environment. Companies may then go on to incorporate other aspects of lean, such as putting Gemba in place and moving onto Kaizen practices.

5S往往是首先实施精益的工具，因为它容易适应于任何的环境。于是，公司可以继续涵盖精益的其他方面，例如适当地布置工作现场并转向经营方法的改善实践。

To start using 5S, companies don’t need to make drastic changes to workflows, scheduling systems or overall company culture. Instead, they can simply fashion their operations using the 5S acronym of sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain. Implementing 5S can lead to cleaner, less-cluttered workspaces. Less clutter and more order means employees will always know where to find tools, and waste materials will stop occupying useful space on the plant floor. Furthermore, 5S can create a more welcoming environment for clients touring the manufacturing facility, which can lead to higher sales conversion rates.

为了开始使用5S，公司们并不需要对工作流程，计划系统，或整个公司的文化进行激励的改变。相反，他们可以简单地使用该5S的首字母缩略词来改变其操作，进行整顿、清理、标准化，以及维护。实施5S可以导致较为干净与较少杂乱的工作空间。较为杂乱与较好的秩序意味着员工们将始终知道在哪里可以找到工具，而浪费的材料将不再占据工厂地面上的有用空间。此外，5S可以为参观其制造工厂设施的客户们创造一个较受欢迎的环境，这可能导致较高的销售转换率。

HIRE OUTSIDE HELP

雇佣外部的帮助

Some companies implement 5S, then claim they are now practicing lean manufacturing. This isn’t entirely inaccurate, but there’s a night-and-day difference between dabbling in 5S and reinventing production systems from a lean standpoint or redoing the company thinking by producing takt time processes.

有些公司实施了5S，然后，声称他们现在正在实践精益生产。这并不完全是不准确，但是，通过对节拍时间的过程进行考虑，从精益的立场和对其公司重组的想法来看，在涉足5S与对生产系统进行重新使用之间，两者间存在有昼–夜的差异。

That’s why many companies start their journey with an external consultant. Professionals trained in lean manufacturing tools and techniques know the best way to thoroughly evaluate a company to identify what and where waste is. This is often over a period of weeks or months. These lean specialists then can offer concrete, strategic recommendations to move forward geared precisely to those places where waste exists.

那就是为什么许多公司都在开始其旅程起就雇佣了一位外部顾问。在精益生产工具和技术方面受过培训的专业人士们都知道，对一家公司进行彻底评估的最好方法，是对浪费的是什么与浪费在哪里进行确定。这种情况往往需要几周或几个月的时间。然后，这些精益专家们就可以提出具体的、战略性的建议，以恰到好处地将存在有浪费的地方去除而向前推进。

Having a third party onsite during implementation of lean helps in two ways. First, it allows manufacturers to draw on decades of lean experience and theory without taking time off for specialized training in the ways of lean. Second, third-party consultants often provide ideas that would be overlooked by core, long-term staff who may have been doing things a certain way many years. When a company has used the same methods for a long time it’s sometimes hard to see change as a viable option.

在实施精益的过程中有一个第三方在场，有两种方法进行帮助。首先，它允许制造商们对数十年的精益经验和理论进行总结，而不用花费时间为精益的方式进行专门的培训。其次，往往第三方咨询公司提供了创意，那会被长期而核心的职工所忽视，他们可能已多年一直都以特定的方式做事。当一家公司已经长期使用了相同的方法时，作为可行的选择，有时候很难看到变化。

The cost of hiring lean consultants might seem high, but an effective lean strategy allows companies to recoup those costs in a short amount of time.

雇佣精益顾问的成本可能看起来很高，但是，一项有效的精益战略可以让公司们在一个很短的时间内对这些成本进行收回。

PREPARE TO MAKE CHANGES

准备好做出改变

Despite producing very real gains in both the short and long term, lean manufacturing is not without its challenges. In addition to consulting fees, companies that go lean often invest huge amounts in new equipment and building updates such as newer electrical connections, improved ventilation and transportation rerouting.

尽管短期和长期的精益生产都产生了实在的收益，但是精益生产并非没有它的挑战。除了咨询费之外，精益企业们往往在新的设备和建筑物的更新方面投入了巨资，比如较新的电气连接、经改善的通风设备，以及交通改道。

Lean manufacturing also is sometimes criticized as responsible for stifling individuality on the shop floor. Operators sometimes have their own preferred methods of getting things done.

To successfully implement lean requires a different way of thinking. Everyone has to agree on an optimal way of doing a job, and everyone has to do the job exactly that way or the system will fail. While the changeover can be difficult for some, any negative effects on morale can be offset by opening clear channels of communicating the whys and hows of what’s being done as well as by promoting accountability at all levels.

有时候精益生产还被批评为对在车间地面上的个性进行压抑。操作者们有时候对工作的完成有其自己喜欢的方法。为了成功地贯彻精益需要了一种不同的思维方式。做一项工作，每个人都有其最佳的方式，而且每个人都必须以这种方式来进行工作，否则，其系统就将失效。虽然这种转变对某些人来说可能很困难，但对士气的任何负面影响都可能被为什么与如何正在做的清楚沟通渠道的开通所抵消，并通过对各级责任性的促进所抵消。

One of the ways lean manufacturing differs from other efficiency strategies is that implementation is not top-down. Lean manufacturing is a company-wide commitment that needs to be shared by employees at all levels, from the shop floor to the executive offices. If everyone is dedicated to improvement, informed of changes and involved in lean discussions, the company has a good chance of success.

精益生产有一种方法与其他的效能策略有所不同，那就是它的实施并不是自上–而下的贯彻。精益生产是全–公司的承诺，即需要由车间的底层到其执行层的办公室，由所有级别的员工们进行共享。如果每个人都致力于进行改进，形成了变化，并参与了精益讨论，该公司就有良好的成功机会。

Even without calling what’s done “lean manufacturing,” successful companies around the world already embrace waste elimination, product quality and efficiency. The tools of lean simply offer a way to quantify, measure and implement these improvements. Despite some challenges, lean manufacturing can be a rewarding process and a solid investment, leading not just to increased profits but also to improved workforce morale and overall company perception.

即使没有将所进行的工作称为“精益生产”，世界各地的成功公司们都已经拥抱了废物的消除、产品的质量，以及效率。精益的工具只是提供了一种对这些改进进行量化、度量，以及贯彻的方法。尽管精益制造有一些挑战，但它可能是一种有回报的过程，并是一项可靠的投资，进行领导不仅仅是对利润进行提高，还对劳动力的士气和公司的整体形象进行提高。

What’s more, both customers and suppliers tend to see lean companies as more reliable, more stable and generally better business partners.

更为重要的是，客户们和供应商们都倾向于将精益企业视为较可靠、较稳定、并一般是较好的商业伙伴。

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