Synchrono white paper examines eight forms of waste in lean manufacturing

St. Paul, Minn.-based Synchrono®, a provider of demand-driven manufacturing software and synchronization technology, has released a new InSync paper, “The 8 Forms of Waste in Lean Manufacturing.”

Lean manufacturing is based on the relentless elimination of waste in manufacturing and efforts toward engaging in ongoing continuous process improvement. In working toward those ends, lean practitioners have identified eight forms of waste in manufacturing environments:

1. Overproduction
2. Waiting
3. Inventory
4. Transportation
5. Overprocessing
6. Motion
7. Defects
8. Workforce

One of the ways to eliminate this waste is e-kanban software, according to the paper. This automated, pull-based inventory replenishment system is based on actual demand or consumption. Parts are scanned into the system when received or consumed, sending real-time notifications to suppliers for replenishment. The “pull” or “demand” is created upon the actual consumption of materials, keeping on-hand inventory at minimal levels and eliminating waste associated with excess inventory.

Available for download at www.synchrono.com, the white paper explains the hidden benefits of the software, offering insights and metrics to monitor. It shows how to reduce the amount of cycle time materials spend in the queue (up to 90 percent) by measuring and accelerating “queue turns, " reduce the need to expedite materials and the number of steps required to process individual orders, automatically adjust inventory levels based on real-time demand, monitor FIFO procedures to reduce scrap, and transform purchasing into a more strategic function. The paper also references customer case studies.