Managers in several
organizations are constantly looking for ways and means of not only improving
efficiency of the work force, but also the ways in which production cost and
other expenses can be reduced. The basic premise of lean
transformation is improved efficiency and intelligent reduction of
expenses. But this transformation cannot be done achieved if the managers focus
only on the macro aspects of production. Rather what is required is taking
consideration of each and every micro aspects of the organization through PFEP
– Plan for Every Part.
PFEP is essentially
an electronic spreadsheet or database, which promotes precise, accurate, and
controlled inventory reduction, and at the same time serves as the foundation
for the continuous improvement of a plant's material-handling system. It
contains all the critical information about parts being used in the production
process. Managers can use this information to manage the material-handling
system, size markets and storage racks containing purchased parts, as well as
design timed delivery routes etc. This way not only do they keep the delivery
system in a perfect condition, but they also see to it that each resource is
used to its maximum benefit and there is avoidance of wastage. Thus PFEP
facilitates lean management.
A usual PFEP contains
data about each part like how each part is purchased, received, packaged, stored,
and delivered to its point of use. Though much of this information exists in
your organization, it is stored in so many different places under the control
of several managers and is mostly invisible. This is why a PFEP is of great
use. What makes PFEP so important is that it needs to be maintained in a
flexible manner, so that continuous change can be accommodated in it.
How is PFEP developed?
First you need to
gather essential information on every part number entering the plant, such as
the part's specifications, supplier, location of supplier, rate of usage,
storage locations, point of use, container size, as well as other key data.
Once this is done the next step is to build the purchased-parts market. For
this you need to establish rules for operating the market, such as an address
system, process of addressing over shipments from suppliers, methods of
addressing issues like the minimum inventory levels, and procedures for loading
and picking parts to maintain a first-in, first-out sequence.
The next step is to
design a delivery route. An important part of a lean material-handling system
is to deliver materials from the purchased parts market to the door step of the
operators. Here you need to identify delivery aisles, select the right
conveyance method, determine the stops and delivery points for the route, and
create correctly sized point-of-use gravity racks at delivery points. Now that
delivery route has been taken care of you need to implement ‘pull signals’ like
the kanban cards, to control the precise times and quantities of parts
delivered to cells.
The most important
aspect of lean management is to continuously improve the
system. This can be done by daily monitoring of key performance metrics
like delivery, productivity and safety. One of the best ways to implement PFEP
is to start with one cell/ department at a time. This is how managers can
systematically transform the organization into a lean one. Implement the PFEP
method and see a positive change in the quality and performance of your
services.
