Value Chain & Lean
We support our customers in rethinking their production and logistics processes in order to minimize no added-value operations and to streamline their production flows.
For example, our team can assist in creating flow standards in accordance with the principles of the pull system to minimize inventory, production time and market delivery times. In this context, ICT Advisory Division can support in:
- definition of the main material flows;
- verification and sizing of any shared operation;
- relative calculation of optimal loop time and intermediate buffers;
- balancing production capacities;
- identification of a single bottleneck.
We also support the application of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to eliminate or to minimize no added-value activities. Attacking waste, simplifying,
standardizing, motivating and innovating are the main daily activities in a leading company, to be implemented through continuous and repeatedmini-projects in the field (kaizen), to be understood as moments of teaching and experimentation, fundamental tools for the implementation of a real process of continuous improvement and involvement of all staff.
Being lean means learning how to do the same things with less resources (people, goods, money, energy, etc.) or do more things with the same resources. Becoming lean means constantly increasing productivity (of labour, machinery, money, energy, etc.) through a virtuous mix of know-how and motivation. This is what we aim to do together with our customers.
A few definitions:
It is a systematic method to minimize scrap and waste within a production system and to increase productivity. It tends to focus on creating value for the customer, i.e. any action or process for which a customer would be willing to pay.
It is a lean management method to analyze the current state of events involving a product or service from its inception to the end customer. Based on this analysis, the entire process is rethought to eliminate value-less operations, to simplify the flow and to focus on value creation.
It is the Japanese expression for “continuous improvement” and refers to activities that continuously improve all phases and involve all employees of the company, from the CEO to the workers. It applies to all types of processes (not just to production) and often shows the greatest potential in cross-functional processes.
It is a control system for fixed assets that avoids any planning or scheduling activities by staff or workers. It is based on visual management and the visual/electronic signal provided directly at the point where the decision has to be made, basically without any or very little delay.