The Visual Factory: Building Participation Through Shared Information (See What's Happening in Your Key Processes--At a Glance, All)

How can you apply value stream mapping and lean concepts to the more complex environment created by mixed model (high variety) manufacturing operations? Creating Mixed Model Value Streams helps you to address the challenges of high-mix, low-volume Visual controls can be the most powerful tool at your disposal in your quest for greater efficiency, quality, productivity and safety. The Visual Factory will teach you how to communicate these invaluable work standards and instructions using visual production controls such as kanban cards, shadow boards, standardized work charts, one-point lessons and many more. If you're aware of the tremendous improvements achieved in productivity and quality as a result of employee involvement, then you'll appreciate the value of creating a visual factory. This book explains why conventional work areas, where fragmented information flows from "top to bottom, " must be replaced by the visual workplace, where information flows in every direction. It details how visual management can make the factory a place where workers and supervisors freely communicate so that every employee can take improvement action. A valuable resource for plant, operations, and human relations managers, this text discusses how successful companies develop meeting and communication areas, communicate standard production controls such as kanban, and make goals and progress visible. With over 200 diagrams, photos and illustrations, The Visual Factory both shows and tells you about the powerful visual techniques that have been so successful around the world.