Hands-On Lean Manufacturing Training
Eliminating Waste and Creating Value
September 2025
Lean Excellence Training
Learning Objectives
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Define Lean Manufacturing principles and philosophy
- Identify the 8 types of waste (TIMWOODS)
- Apply key Lean tools (5S, Kaizen, VSM, SMED)
- Conduct hands-on activities and simulations
- Create action plans for implementation
What is Lean Manufacturing?
Definition
A systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement
Origins
Developed from Toyota Production System (TPS)
Philosophy
"Doing more with less"
Focus
Customer value and eliminating non-value-added activities
Key Benefits
- Reduced costs
- Improved quality
- Faster delivery
- Enhanced employee engagement
Five Core Principles
Define Value
Understand what customers truly value
Map Value Stream
Identify all steps in the process
Create Flow
Eliminate interruptions and delays
Establish Pull
Produce only what is needed when needed
Pursue Perfection
Continuously improve toward ideal state
The 8 Wastes - TIMWOODS
Transportation
Unnecessary movement of materials, products, or information
Examples:
- Moving parts between distant workstations
- Multiple handling of materials
- Excessive email forwarding
Inventory
Excess materials, products, or information not being processed
Examples:
- Overstock of raw materials
- Work-in-process buildup
- Unused information systems
Motion
Unnecessary movement of people during work
Examples:
- Searching for tools
- Excessive walking
- Repetitive reaching or bending
Waiting
Idle time when people or machines are not productive
Examples:
- Machine breakdowns
- Waiting for approvals
- Queue times
Over-production
Producing more than what is needed
Examples:
- Making products ahead of demand
- Running large batches
- Generating excessive reports
Over-processing
Adding more value than required by customer
Examples:
- Excessive features
- Multiple quality checks
- Gold plating solutions
Defects
Products or services that don't meet quality standards
Examples:
- Scrap and rework
- Service errors
- Incorrect information
Skills
Underutilizing people's capabilities and knowledge
Examples:
- Not listening to suggestions
- Underutilizing talents
- Poor training programs
5S Workplace Organization
Sort (Seiri)
Remove unnecessary items from workplace
- Red tag unneeded items
- Remove or relocate
- Keep only essentials
Set in Order (Seiton)
Organize and arrange necessary items
- Designate specific locations
- Label everything
- Create visual controls
Shine (Seiso)
Clean and maintain workplace
- Deep clean workspace
- Identify sources of dirt
- Make cleaning routine
Standardize (Seiketsu)
Create standards and procedures
- Document best practices
- Create checklists
- Establish routines
Sustain (Shitsuke)
Maintain discipline and continuous improvement
- Regular audits
- Training programs
- Management commitment
Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
Definition
A visual tool to analyze current state and design future state of material and information flow
Steps
- Select product family
- Draw current state map
- Analyze current state
- Design future state map
- Create implementation plan
Key Metrics
- Cycle Time
- Lead Time
- Value-Added Time
- Value-Added Ratio
- Process Efficiency
Kaizen - Continuous Improvement
Philosophy
Small, continuous improvements involving all employees
Plan
Identify problem and plan solution
Do
Implement solution on small scale
Check
Measure and analyze results
Act
Standardize and deploy if successful
SMED - Single Minute Exchange of Die
Methodology
Reduce setup and changeover times to under 10 minutes
Separate Internal and External
Distinguish between activities requiring machine stop vs. running
Convert Internal to External
Move as many internal activities as possible to external
Streamline All Activities
Improve efficiency of both internal and external activities
Case Study Results
- Before: 45 minutes average setup time
- After: 8 minutes average setup time
- Improvement: 82% reduction
- Annual savings: $120,000
Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing)
Techniques
Prevent or detect errors before they cause defects
Prevention Methods
Make errors impossible to occur
- Different sized connectors
- Color coding
- Shape coding
Detection Methods
Identify errors when they occur
- Sensors
- Checklists
- Automatic shutoffs
Real-World Examples
- USB connectors only fit one way
- Car won't start unless in park/neutral
- Microwave won't run with door open
- ATM retains card until cash is taken
Just-In-Time (JIT) Production
Concept
Producing the right items at the right time in the right quantities
Pull System
Production triggered by customer demand
- Reduced inventory
- Lower costs
- Better quality
- Flexibility
Kanban System
Visual signals that trigger production
- Production kanban
- Withdrawal kanban
- Signal kanban
Takt Time
Rate of customer demand
Formula:
Available work time ÷ Customer demand
Example:
480 minutes ÷ 240 units = 2 minutes per unit
Hands-On Activity 1: Waste Hunt
Click on the waste examples you can identify in this production area
Score: 0/100
Found: 0/5 wastes
Hands-On Activity 2: 5S Simulation
Organize this workspace using 5S principles
5S Implementation Tasks
- ✓ Remove unnecessary items (Sort)
- ✓ Place tools in designated spots (Set in Order)
- ✓ Clean the workspace (Shine)
- ✓ Label everything (Standardize)
- ✓ Create audit checklist (Sustain)
Before 5S
Cluttered workstation with:
- Tools scattered everywhere
- Dirty surfaces
- Unlabeled storage
- Unnecessary items
After 5S
Organized workspace with:
- Tools in designated locations
- Clean, maintained surfaces
- Clear labeling system
- Only essential items present
Hands-On Activity 3: VSM Workshop
Create a Value Stream Map for this process
Process Steps
- Receiving: 5 min cycle, 95% uptime
- Machining: 15 min cycle, 85% uptime
- Assembly: 20 min cycle, 90% uptime
- Testing: 10 min cycle, 95% uptime
- Packaging: 8 min cycle, 98% uptime
Current State Metrics
- Total Cycle Time: 58 minutes
- Total Lead Time: 14.5 days
- Value-Added Ratio: 6.9%
- Customer Demand: 100 units/day
Improvement Opportunities
- Reduce inventory levels
- Improve machine uptime
- Balance line capacity
- Implement pull system
Case Study: TechCorp Electronics
Challenge
High lead times, quality issues, and customer complaints
Implementation Results
- Lead Time: 21 → 7 days (67% improvement)
- Quality: 92% → 98.5% first pass yield
- Productivity: 100 → 145 units/hour (45% improvement)
- Inventory: 8.2 → 3.1 days (62% improvement)
ROI & Timeline
Investment: $400K
Annual Savings: $2.3M
Timeline: 18-month program
Key Success Factors
- Leadership commitment is critical
- Employee engagement drives success
- Start small and build momentum
- Sustaining gains requires discipline
Implementation Roadmap
Foundation (Months 1-3)
Build awareness, secure commitment, form teams
Pilot (Months 4-8)
Demonstrate value, build capability, learn lessons
Expansion (Months 9-15)
Scale success, integrate systems, build culture
Maturity (Months 16+)
Continuous improvement, innovation, benchmarking
Critical Success Factors
- Leadership commitment and visibility
- Employee engagement and empowerment
- Systematic approach and methodology
- Performance measurement and feedback
- Continuous learning and adaptation
Common Implementation Challenges
Resistance to Change
Causes: Fear of job loss, comfort with status quo
Solutions: Clear communication, involve employees, demonstrate benefits
Lack of Leadership Commitment
Causes: Competing priorities, short-term focus
Solutions: Executive training, clear expectations, regular reviews
Insufficient Training
Causes: Budget constraints, time pressures
Solutions: Structured curriculum, hands-on practice, continuous reinforcement
Poor Sustaining
Causes: Lack of discipline, no measurement
Solutions: Standard procedures, regular audits, recognition systems
Measuring Success
Quality Metrics
- First Pass Yield (Target: 98%+)
- Defect Rate (Target: <1%)
- Customer Complaints (50% reduction)
- Rework Costs (75% reduction)
Delivery Metrics
- Lead Time (50% reduction)
- On-Time Delivery (Target: 95%+)
- Schedule Adherence (Target: 90%+)
- Cycle Time (Continuous reduction)
Cost Metrics
- Productivity (20%+ increase)
- Inventory Turns (Double current)
- Labor Efficiency (15%+ improvement)
- Total Cost (10%+ reduction)
Safety & Morale
- Accident Rate (Zero incidents)
- Employee Suggestions (5+ per person/year)
- Engagement Score (Target: 80%+)
- Near Miss Reporting (Proactive)
Knowledge Check
Question 1 of 5
Which of the following is NOT one of the 8 wastes?
Question 2 of 5
What does the 'S' in SMED stand for?
Question 3 of 5
In the PDCA cycle, what comes after 'Do'?
Question 4 of 5
What is the primary goal of 5S?
Question 5 of 5
Takt time is calculated as:
Assessment Complete!
Your Score: 0%
Action Planning
First 30 Days - Foundation
Next 30 Days - Implementation
Following 30 Days - Expansion
Additional Resources
Recommended Books
- The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker
- Lean Thinking by Womack & Jones
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- Gemba Kaizen by Masaaki Imai
Online Courses
- ASQ Lean Certification
- SME Lean Manufacturing
- Coursera Lean Management
- edX Operations Management
Professional Organizations
- Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI)
- Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME)
- American Society for Quality (ASQ)
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
Conferences & Events
- Lean Summit
- AME International Conference
- Kaizen Conference
- Operational Excellence Summit
Thank You!
Q&A and Discussion
Ready to start your Lean journey?
Next Steps:
- Complete your action plan
- Schedule follow-up sessions
- Join our Lean community
- Apply what you've learned
Common Questions
- How long does Lean implementation take? (12-24 months typically)
- Can Lean work in service industries? (Absolutely!)
- What's the biggest barrier? (Resistance to change)
- How do we measure ROI? (Track quality, delivery, cost metrics)