1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

The fiercely globalize and competitive markets of 21st century demand for
increasingly high variety of products at reducing cost, lesser lead time and perfect
quality. This changing scenario calls for a new manufacturing paradigm which is capable
of providing efficiency, responsiveness and quality. Lean Manufacturing is one such
system which claims to achieve exactly the same. Although some of the practices of lean
manufacturing can be dated back to 1940, but the present framework of lean
manufacturing came into being with the publication of „The machine that changed the
world‟ by Jim Womack in 1991. Since then numerous companies have benefited by
making their enterprises lean by changing their organizations, guided by the lean
manufacturing philosophy. Lean thinking provides by far the most compelling
intellectual architecture for the various systemic change initiatives. Boeing, Ford, General
Motors, are such world class companies to name a few. On the other hand there are
numerous SMEs who failed on the road to lean manufacturing and many others who have
not even set on the journey to lean manufacturing. The main reason behind the failures is
the lack of understanding of big picture of lean manufacturing, the guiding principles,
organizational ill preparedness and over emphasis on tools of lean manufacturing. The
present paper makes an attempt to understand the big picture of Lean manufacturing
along with tools & practices and also suggests an implementation plan. In the end, a case
study on lean manufacturing is presented with an aim to propose a framework for
successful lean manufacturing implementation.

1.2 Big Picture Of Lean

At the heart of lean manufacturing lies „Lean thinking‟. Lean thinking is the
dynamic, knowledge driven and customer focused process by which all people in a
defined enterprise continuously eliminate waste with the goal of creating value. The
value is inclusive of value to the stakeholders like enterprise, workers, society and
customers. The following are the principles behind the lean thinking,
Customer focus: make sure that all the activities of the organization are driven by the
customer needs and expectation.

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Eliminate waste with the goal of creating value: it calls for elimination of waste
throughout the value chain.
Pursue knowledge driven enterprise transformation: utilize the ideas and skills of
everyone in the organization to implement systemic changes.
Foster a dynamic process of change and capability building: pursue a proactive,
relentless, process of ongoing change and capability building to ensure the sustained
competitive advantage.
The following practices transform the lean principles into actions to achieve lean
thinking,
• Synchronize flow throughout the value stream
• Pursue an adaptive product development process
• Ensure seamless flow of information
• Strive for perfect quality
• Promote leadership and effective decision making at all levels
• Optimize the capabilities and utilization of all people
• Nurture organizational learning
• Establish relationship based on mutual trust and commitment.
These practices based on lean principles described above prepares the organization
for the implementation of what is called Lean Manufacturing (Fig. 1.1). So, it is very
important to understand the big picture of lean before embarking on the path of lean
manufacturing implementation using prevalent tools of lean manufacturing.

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 Lean Thinking

Lean Principles

Lean Organization
Practices

Lean Manufacturing tools

Lean Manufacturing

Fig. 1.1 Big picture of Lean

Lean manufacturing promotes the fundamental rethinking of how to produce and

deliver goods and services to meet the challenges mentioned. It calls for a paradigm shift
from „batch and queue‟ mass production system to product aligned „single piece pull
based‟ production system. The idea behind single piece pull based manufacturing is to
eliminate the inventory and hence the safety net and expose the system inefficiencies to
build a robust, supple, efficient manufacturing system ready for the challenges posed by
the globalization of the markets.
To implement lean manufacturing five primary elements need to be worked upon:
manufacturing flow, organization, process control, metrics and logistics. Manufacturing
flow concerns with the uninterrupted flow of material from the store through to value
addition processes to the shipping. The element „Organization‟ deals with people‟s roles
and responsibility and to train them in new ways of thinking, working and
communication. Process controls concerns with all, that is required to monitor, control
and improve discrete manufacturing process steps. Metrics establishes visible, results-

3
based performance measures, determining targets for improvement and recognizing work
teams for process improvements. Logistics defines operating rules and mechanisms for
the flow of material. Fig 1.2 represents the basic tools and methods used to satisfy the
requirements of each of these five lean manufacturing elements.
Manufacturing Flow Organisation Process Control
• Product quantity • Product focused, • Total productive
assessment multi-disciplined team maintenance
• Process Mapping • Lean Manager • Poka- yoke
• Takt calculations development • SMED
• Work load balancing • Touch labor cross training • Graphical work
• Kanban sizing skill matrix instructions
• Cell layout • Training (lean awareness, • Visual control
• Standard work • Cell control, metrics, • Continuous improvement
• One-piece flow SPC) • Line stop
Communication plan • SPC
• Roles and responsibitity • 5S house keeping
Metrics Logistics
• On time delivery • Forward plan
• Process lead time • Level loading
• Total cost • Workable work
• Quality yield • Kanban pull signal
• Inventory • A, B, C parts handling
• Space utilization • Service cell agreements
• Travel distance • Customer/supplier
• productivity alignment
• Operational rules
Fig. 1.2 Components of Lean Manufacturing

Value stream mapping Value stream mapping is the mapping of all the activities for a
product from order taking stage to delivery stage. The purpose of VSM is to identify the
value addition activities and non value addition activities. After identification an effort is
made to eliminate non value addition activities.
Takt Time Takt time is the total time available for production per shift( sec) / Required
number of parts per shift.
Kanban A method for maintaining an orderly flow of material. Kanban cards are used to
indicate material order points, how much material is needed, from where the material is
ordered, and to where it should be delivered.

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Cellular Manufacturing A cell is a cluster of machines put together in a unidirectional
layout to manufacture a family of parts. Cellular manufacturing is not only about the
layout of the parts but it signifies a fundamental shift from push manufacturing to flow
based pull manufacturing requiring a completely new philosophy of production. A
product may travel from a number of cells linked together from input stage to out stage.
All the cell are connected together using pull rule. Another feature of cellular
manufacturing is multi skilled workers capable to work on different machines or
operations. In a cell, the goal is to have parts flowing from one machine to other machine
at a rate determined by takt time. It calls for line balancing of all the station to takt time.
To determine the family of part to be assigned to a cell group technology may be used.
Single piece flow Lean manufacturing advocates single piece-pull based flow. The idea
behind, is to reduce the work in process inventory, keep a check on bad quality as it is
occurring and to shorten the lead times. The requisites to achieve single piece flow are
minimal set up times, 100% defect free quality, perfectly maintained equipment &
machines and fool proofing for mistakes.
Process Control the main difference between lean manufacturing and the push based
mass manufacturing is the removal of all kinds of inventory in the system. We have to
understand, what is the role of inventory? Inventory basically works as safety net against
the unforeseen failures in the processes. That mean, by removing inventory factory
exposes itself to dangers of failure.
Total Productive Maintenance TPM capitalizes on proactive and progressive
maintenance methodologies and calls upon the knowledge and cooperation of operators,
equipment vendors, engineering, and support personnel to optimize machine
performance. Results of this optimized performance include; elimination of breakdowns,
reduction of unscheduled and scheduled downtime, improved utilization, higher
throughput, and better product quality. Bottom-line results include; lower operating costs,
longer equipment life, and lower overall maintenance costs.
Poka Yoke Simply speaking, Poka yoke means fool proofing. It is all about ensuring that
the mistake does not happen.
Single Minute Exchange of Dies When one is working with single piece batch size, one
needs to have close to zero set up time to achieve maximum utilization of resources as

5
well as flexibility. Single minute exchange of dies is the method of changing the set up of
process from one product type to other in minimal time.
Visual Control These are simple signals that provide an immediate and readily apparent
understanding of a condition or situation. Visual controls enable someone to walk into the
workplace and know within a short period of time (usually thirty seconds) what‟s
happening with regards to production schedule, backlog, workflow, inventory levels,
resource utilization, and quality. These controls should be efficient, self regulating, and
worker managed, and include kanban cards, lights, color-coded tools, lines delineating
work areas and product flow, etc.
Continuous improvement (Kaizen) Kaizen is the method of continuously improving the
processes, systems in increments, with the help of workers.
5’s House keeping This tool is a systematic method for organizing and standardizing the
workplace. It‟s one of the simplest Lean tools to implement, provides immediate return
on investment, crosses all industry boundaries, and is applicable to every function with an
organization.
Metrics it is the criteria to judge the success of lean manufacturing implementation, it can
work as target as well. The values on the various criteria may guide the efforts of the
organization in a particular lacking area.
Logistics it is the backbone of lean manufacturing. In case of working with minimum
level of raw materials inventory, it becomes very important to ensure on time, correct,
flexible and good quality supplies. The relations between supplier and customer take a
very leading role. So, logistics concerns with the systems and mechanisms to ensure good
supplies.
Kanban A method for maintaining an orderly flow of material. Kanban cards are used to
indicate material order points, how much material is needed, from where the material is
ordered, and to where it should be delivered. Production Kanban are also used to control
production.
Organization The main difference between winners and losers in lean manufacturing
implementers is that the losers focus only (or mainly) on various tools and techniques and
almost ignore the human factor, i.e. how to build up a company culture characterized by
commitment for continuous improvements and everybody‟s involvement.

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Waste is defined as anything which adds cost to the product without adding any value to
the product. It can be broadly classified as the following-
• Waste which are seen or calculated like machine breakdown.
• Waste which are not calculated in terms of waste like improper transportation of
machines and materials. Minor wastes include are papers in management work,
due to improper working environment etc.
So to detect and remove these wastes in any industry LM is used. Mainly seven kinds of
wastes (Figure 1.2) are included in the category which will be discussed below:

Fig. 1.3 Types of Wastes

• Overproduction: Production of products above what actually is required by the

customer at that point of need is considered as a waste.
• Rejection: The product is not as per the requirement is considered as a scrap and
waste.
• Transportation: Unnecessary movement of the parts during production which
does not add any value to the product is considered as a waste.
• Inventory: It may be defines as the stocks of parts waiting to be finished or
products waiting to be shipped. Inventory of any kind is called a waste.

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• Motion: Unnecessary movement of the workers on the shop floor is considered as
a waste. It has been observed that at an average only 5 % of the motion is useful
for processing on work piece.
• Work in Process (WIP): It is a direct result of over production and waiting time.
It may also be termed as over processing and thus is a type of waste.
• Waiting Time: Unnecessary waiting by the worker to begin the next step or the
product is waiting to be processed on the next work station is considered as a
waste.

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 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

[1] M. Kishore Kumar, A. John Rajan, R. Kaja Bantha Navas , S.Sahaya Rubinson.
Application of Lean Manufacturing in Mass Production System: A Case Study in
Indian Manufacturing Unit
In the present competitive and challenging market, industries need to improve their
performance by concentrating on their manufacturing processes. Lean manufacturing is
one of the most powerful manufacturing control systems backed by several tools for
improving and for improving process flow. Lean manufacturing can also help in
environmental pollution control, cutting down the product cost, reducing physical effort
and minimizing product manufacturing time. This paper illustrates the application of lean
manufacturing to minimize the setup time, cycle time of a reputed manufacturing
industry in India. A detailed description of each step of the process is given and is
illustrated the results from a case study undertaken during the research. This article
focuses on lean manufacturing tools like value stream mapping, method study, and its
implementation. It will decrease the current lead time by fifty percent. It also proposes
and comes out with measures to improve current operations within the company.

[2] Dinesh Seth and Vaibhav Gupta. Application of value stream mapping for lean
operations and cycle time reduction: an Indian case study
For the last few years almost every manufacturing industry has been trying to get „lean‟.
A headlong rush to offer value to the customers by becoming lean and responsive has
created an urgency for researchers and practitioners to apply new tools and techniques to
address various wastes. The process of mapping the material and information flows of all
components and sub-assemblies in a value stream that includes manufacturing, suppliers
and distribution to the customer is known as value stream mapping (VSM). VSM has
proved effective in identifying and eliminating wastes in a facility with similar or
identical product routings, such as in assembly facilities. In this paper, an attempt has
been made to use VSM as a technique to achieve productivity improvement at supplier
end for an auto industry. Both current and future („as is‟ and „to be‟) states of supplier
shopfloor scenarios are discussed using value stream concepts. This is analysed along

9
with takt time calculations and the application of other gap areas. Finally, gain in
production output per person, reduction of work in process and finished goods inventory
affecting productivity are also reported.

[3] K. L. Jeyaraj, C. Muralidharan, R. Mahalingam,S. G. Deshmukh Applying Value

Stream Mapping Technique for Production Improvement in a Manufacturing
Company: A Case Study
The purpose of this paper is to explain how value stream mapping (VSM) is helpful in
lean implementation and to develop the road map to tackle improvement areas to bridge
the gap between the existing state and the proposed state of a manufacturing firm.
Through this case study, the existing stage of manufacturing is mapped with the help of
VSM process symbols and the biggest improvement areas like excessive TAKT time,
production, and lead time are identified. Some modifications in current state map are
suggested and with these modifications future state map is prepared. Further TAKT time
is calculated to set the pace of production processes. This paper compares the current
state and future state of a manufacturing firm and witnessed 20 % reduction in TAKT
time, 22.5 % reduction in processing time, 4.8 % reduction in lead time, 20 %
improvement in production, 9 % improvement in machine utilization, 7 % improvement
in man power utilization, objective improvement in workers skill level, and no change in
the product and semi finished product inventory level. The findings are limited due to the
focused nature of the case study. This case study shows that VSM is a powerful tool for
lean implementation and allows the industry to understand and continuously improve
towards lean manufacturing.

[4] Sameh Mohamed Fahmi and Tamer Mohamed Abdelwahab Case Study:
Improving Production Planning in Steel Industry in Light of Lean Principles
Lean manufacturing has been applied in many companies in different sectors. The steel
industry has many challenges for the implementation of lean manufacturing due to some
constraints that are related to the nature of the industry such as large lot production. This
paper describes the application of lean principles in the production planning of a flat steel
plant. Pull Production, Mixed Model Production, elimination of waste, and creating flow

10
are among the lean manufacturing principles that were applied in this case. The results
show more than 40% reduction in work in process and cycle time, reduction in cycle time
variability, and less chaos. This case shows that it is possible to implement, at least,
several lean principles in steel industry and achieve positive results.

[5] Manimay Ghosh Lean manufacturing performance in Indian manufacturing

plants
This study makes an attempt to find the degree of lean implementation in India and the
different lean manufacturing practices that have been embraced in automotive and other
manufacturing plants in India. The study suggests that many Indian plants are at an
advanced level of lean implementation and have achieved superior operational
performance by implementing lean. The findings of this study in terms of improvement in
operational metrics seem to be in agreement with the findings of other scholars. Out of
the six operations metrics considered for the study, first-pass correct output, reduction in
manufacturing lead time and productivity increase are found to be the three key drivers
for lean implementation. However, as the sample size for this study was not large
enough, generalizations from this study to the population need to be made with caution.

[6] Ajit Kumar Sahoo, N. K. Singh, Ravi Shankar, M. K. Tiwari Lean philosophy:
implementation in a forging company
This paper addresses the implementation of lean philosophy in a forging company with a
focus on radial forging production flow lines. Here, the prime motive is to evolve and test
several strategies to eliminate waste on the shop floor. In this research, a systematic
approach is suggested for the implementation of lean principles. This paper describes an
application of value stream mapping (VSM). Consequently, the present and future states
of value stream maps are constructed to improve the production process by identifying
waste and its sources. Furthermore, Taguchi‟s method of design of experiments is
pursued here to minimize the forging defects produced due to imperfect operating
conditions. A noticeable reduction in set-up time and work-in-process (WIP) inventory
level is substantiated. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of managerial implications
and the future scope of research.

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[7] L. BAMBER and B. G. DALE Lean production: a study of application in a
Traditional manufacturing environment
This paper reports the findings of a research study into the application of lean production
methods to a traditional aerospace manufacturing organization. The approach taken to
lean production is described, along with what worked and what did not. Two main
stumbling blocks to the application were identified the redundancy programme and a lack
of employee education in the concept and principles of lean production. A number of the
methods of lean production were found not to be as effective as in the motor
manufacturing environment; the reasons for this included the dominant position of the
company and the customer demand characteristics. In addition, both management and the
industrial workers found the transition from traditional manufacture to lean production
was not easy to make.

[8] Bhim Singh & Suresh K. Garg & Surrender K. Sharma. Value stream mapping:
literature review and implications for Indian industry
Value steam mapping (VSM) is a lean manufacturing technique and it has emerged as the
preferred way to support and implement the lean approach. VSM is different than
conventional recording techniques, as it captures the information at individual stations
about station cycle time, up time or utilization of resources, set-up time or change over
time, work in process inventory, man power requirement and the information flow from
raw material to finish goods. It covers both value adding as well as non-value-adding
activities. This paper covers the review and classification of literature on VSM, as there is
hardly any paper on literature review of VSM, so it will be very beneficiary for both
academician and industry people. Applications of VSM are also presented by a case study
of a small manufacturing Indian industry and reduction in lead time, processing time,
work in process inventory and manpower requirement at individual stations are noticed.

[9] Priti B. Khadse, Avinash D.Sarode, Renu Wasu Lean Manufacturing in Indian
Industries A Review
The purpose of this research is to first identify the critical lean manufacturing factors
responsible for implementation of lean manufacturing in the Indian manufacturing sector

12
and then to incorporate these factors into a framework, which can be represent the present
status of lean practices in Indian industries. Also to identify barrier and benefits of lean
manufacturing in industries. The approach of the research includes a literature review, in-
depth interviews and questionnaire surveys. The most important criteria of lean
manufacturing are identified through an extensive survey conducted in manufacturing
industries encompassing various fields like engineering, automobile, processing and
others.

[10] Manjunath M., Dr. Shivaprasad H. C., Keerthesh Kumar K. S., Deepa Puthran
Value Stream Mapping as a Tool for Lean Implementation: A Case Study
The main purpose of the paper is to know how value stream mapping(VSM) is a
powerful tool in lean implementation and to tackle the improvement areas from the
current state & to propose the future state which helps in reducing the lead time,
manufacturing cost and delivery in time without compromising for the quality of the
product. VSM helps firms to understand and to improve continuously to work towards
becoming lean enterprise.

Conclusion about literature review-

Lean Manufacturing has increasingly been applied by leading manufacturing companies
throughout the world. It has proven to have many positive outcomes which include such
concepts as reduced cycle time, decreased cost, reduction of defects and waste. Lean
manufacturing aims to achieve the same output with less input; such as less time, less
space, less human effort, less machinery, less material and less cost. To better understand
lean manufacturing, one first needs to understand the basic principles that guide it. Some
major lean manufacturing principles include: recognizing wastes, having standard
processes, having a continuous flow, pull-production, quality at the source and
maintaining continuous improvement.

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 3. PROBLEM DEFINITION
3.1 Problem defined:-

When implementing lean manufacturing, companies have to use tools and

techniques introduced by “Toyota” motor company. These must be managed and used in
order to prevent potential failures. Based on this explanation, a problem can be stated as:
“How can Value Stream Mapping be effectively used to improve the performance of the
industry?”

From the point of view of eliminating wastes through the application of VSM, the
following three problems were considered to provide solutions-
1 Deficiencies of the layout: The current layout does not facilitate smooth flow of
materials and men. This results in crowding of men in some pockets and accumulation of
materials in front of certain facilities. Moreover, because of the deficiencies in the layout,
the distances travelled by the materials are high.
2 Occurrence of non-value adding activities: Numerous non-value adding activities like
transportation and waiting occur in the Chola. This increases the cycle time of producing
pumps and prevents the production of pumps in tune with takt time.
3 Occurrence of excessive inventory: It was found that, the work-in-process and finished
product inventories are high in Chola. This kind of excessive inventory affects the cash
flow.

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 4. METHODOLOGY

The examination of implementing VSM was carried out in a water pump

manufacturing company by name Chola pumps (hereafter referred to as Chola). Chola is
situated in Coimbatore city of India. Chola was established in the year 1989. During this
case study, a type of pump called horizontal openwell submersible pump (HOWS) was
chosen as the candidate product. The photograph of this pump is shown in

Figure 4.1. This water pump is hereafter referred to as HOWS pump.

As the name implies, HOWS pump is submerged in the water well. As shown in
Figure 4.1, HOWS pump has two main units namely motor and pump. Motor drives the
shaft of the pump which is connected to the impeller of the pump. When the impeller is
rotated, vacuum is created in the pump which results in the sucking of water from the
well and delivering the same at a designed height. In Chola, maximum volume of
production occurs in the case of HOWS pumps. This was the reason, why the HOWS
pump was taken as the candidate product of this case study. The subsequent activities
carried out in Chola are described in the following subsections.

4.1 Study of production flow

To begin with, the production flow pertaining to the manufacture of HOWS pump
in Chola was studied. It was found that, five parts namely body, bracket, impeller, cover

15
and rotor are manufactured in Chola. The production flows of these parts were studied
and production flow diagrams were drawn. One of such diagrams indicating the
production flow of the body of HOWS pump manufactured at Chola is shown in Figure
4.2.

16
Figure 4.2 Production flow diagram of body

17
 As shown in Figure 4.2, the machine-shop layout in which HOWS pump is
manufactured in Chola is divided into five cells. Besides these cells, office and painting
sections are located separately. The body is pressed in the pressing section and is passed
to welding section. In welding section, the stator and cover case part of the body are
welded together for ensuring extra rigidity. After welding, the body is subjected to
internal turning operation. Then the body is painted in the painting section. The
production flows of bracket, cover, body, impeller and rotor were also observed and the
production flow diagrams were drawn.

4.2 Gathering of data

Before drawing the current state map, the data to be entered in it were gathered
with regard to the manufacturing of the HOWS pump. To begin with, the sequence of
machining the parts of HOWS pump was studied. It was found out that, six parts of
HOWS pump are machined simultaneously in Chola. In other words, these parts are
machined independently without following any production sequence. This machining
practice is depicted in Figure 4.3. As depicted, after machining, five parts arrive at the
assembly section, where they are assembled. Then the HOWS pumps are tested and
acceptable units are sent for dispatching to the market. Another important data gathered
was the time being consumed to manufacture each part. The machining of each part was
observed and their cycle time and change over time were recorded. As a sample, the
cycle time and change over time observed in the case of manufacturing the bracket is
shown in Table No. 4.1.

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 Figure 4.3 Machining practice of HOWS pump at Chola

Table No. 4.1 Cycle time and change over time of the bracket of HOWS pump
observed at Chola

Operation Cycle time in Change over time in

Operation
Number minutes minutes
1 Pressing 1.2 15
Turning
2 2.4 30
(CNC)
3 Drilling 2.5 22
4 Lapping 0.96 3
5 Burnishing 0.8 1.5
Total time (rounded off to the 8 71.5
nearest higher value)

Cycle time and change over time of other parts of the HOWS pump which were observed
at Chola are shown in Table No. 4.2.

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Table No. 4.2 Cycle time and change over time of the parts of HOWS pump at
Chola
Part Number Name of Part Cycle time in minutes Change over time in
minutes
1 Bracket 8 71.5
2 Cover 10 72.5
3 Impeller 8 72
4 Rotor 2.2 37
5 Body 21 17
4.3 Current state map
The current state map drawn to depict the current practices of manufacturing HOWS
pump at Chola is shown in Figure 4.4

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 Figure 4.4 The current state map
As shown, the production order is released once in a week from production
control department to the production supervisor. This production order contains the list of
the different pumps that are to be produced in different volumes in a week. After getting
this order, the production supervisor releases the order daily. The numbers of operators
associated with machining each part are shown in Figure 4. For example, three operators
are involved in machining a bracket, while one operator is associated with the machining
of impeller and rotor. Once a bracket is machined, it waits for 13 days to move towards
assembly section. This is due to the reason that, in order to follow the production order,
the parts of pumps other than HOWS pumps are machined. This results in the increasing
of the waiting time of the parts of HOWS pump. While drawing the current state map, the

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change over time (c/o time) was also included under waiting time. After assembling and
testing, the HOWS pumps are moved once in a week to the market. A striking
information drawn from this current state map is the difference in the cycle time and lead
time of manufacturing the HOWS pump at Chola. The cycle time of producing HOWS
pump is 111.2 minutes and the lead time is 53 days. This implies that out of the total lead
time, only 0.0612% of the time is utilized for manufacturing the HOWS pump in Chola.
This observation indicated a high scope for implementing lean manufacturing tools in the
case of manufacturing HOWS pumps in Chola. The utilization of these tools was
explored by analyzing the current state map.
4.4 Analysis of the current state map
To begin with, the capability of the current production system in meeting the takt
time was explored. In order to carry out this task, the takt time of producing HOWS
pump was calculated. The steps of this calculation are shown below.
1. Average monthly demand of HOWS pump = 4,500 units
2. Average number of working days in a month = 25 days
3. Average daily demand of HOWS pump = 4,500 / 25 = 180 units
4. Number of shifts available in a day = 3 shifts
5. Number of working hours / shift = 8 hours = 480 minutes
6. Lunch time = 30 minutes
7. Tea time = 20 minutes
8. Shift start / end lag = 10 minutes
9. Total available production time / shift = 480 – 30 – 20 – 10 = 420 minutes
10. Takt time = total available production time available daily / number of units to be
produced daily = 420 × 3 / 180 = 1,260 / 180 = 7 minutes or 420 seconds.
The above result indicates that in order to tune the manufacturing of HOWS pump in
Chola with takt time requirement, one unit of it shall be manufacturing for every 420
seconds. As mentioned in the previous section, the total lead time of producing HOWS
pump at Chola was 53 days which was very high and it was decided that, with the aid of
lean manufacturing tools, this high lead time should be reduced. At this juncture, the
engineers had critical discussions among themselves and suggested to implement
production Kanban and move Kanban which would reduce the waiting time of the parts

22
of HOWS pumps to get assembled. Another deficiency noted was that, cycle time varied
depending upon the skill level and experience of operators. In order to make the cycle
times of machining parts consistent, the engineers suggested to implement standard work
procedures. In spite of implementing these solutions, it was anticipated that the
manufacturing lead time of the HOWS pump would be 7.15 days which is still higher
than the total processing time of 46.73 minutes.
It was construed that in the existing system, drastic reduction of the total lead time
to meet the takt time requirement would not be possible. In order to achieve this goal, the
engineers anticipated that kaizen implementation would facilitate continuous
improvement with the aim of making takt time less than or equal to the total lead time.
Further, the engineers foresaw that, the implementation of total productive maintenance
would eliminate the stoppages of machines, which would ensure consistency in
manufacturing HOWS pumps. Besides the engineers developed an impression that the
implementation of 5S in assembly section would reduce the time of picking, using and
replacing the tools while assembling the parts of HOWS pumps in assembly section.
After evolving these above suggestions, the engineers inferred that, if the above
mentioned lean manufacturing tools and techniques are to be implemented effectively,
then the layouts employed for manufacturing the five parts of the HOWS pumps need to
be improved. The layout improvement needs to be carried out with the objective of
avoiding bottlenecks and reducing the travelling distances. The future state map
incorporating all these suggestions was drawn.

4.6 Future state map

The future state map drawn with reference to the manufacturing of HOWS pump at Chola
is shown in Figure 4.5

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 Figure 4.5 The future state map

As shown in Figure 4.5, the role of supervisor is not found to be necessary as

production kanban is introduced in all the seven facilities. Furthermore, in the facilities
where three operators were accommodated, it is suggested to involve only two operators.
In order to overcome the differentiation of work output that would happen due to the
employment of experienced and inexperienced operators, it is suggested to release
standard work instructions. In order to ensure interruption free working of machines, it is
suggested to conduct total productive maintenance programme in Chola. In order to
achieve continuous improvement of all the activities pertaining to the manufacturing of
HOWS pump at Chola, it is suggested to conduct kaizen programme. In order to avoid
confusion with regard to the choosing of exact parts to assemble HOWS pumps, it is
suggested to carry out 5S activities in the assembly section. It is projected that, execution

24
of these activities will result in abundant reduction of cycle time. This cycle time is
expected to be 420 seconds which is equivalent to the takt time. As mentioned in the
previous section this objective can be achieved at Chola only if the layouts employed for
manufacturing the five parts are improved. In order to meet this requirement, the
engineers redesigned these layouts to avoid bottlenecks and reduce material handling
distances. As a sample, the redesigned layout employed for manufacturing the pump
body part is shown in Figure 4.6. It is suggested that, the TIG welding setup in the
adjacent machine shop be shifted in place of an upright drilling machine which has been
in use for limited purposes only. This proposed design of the layout facilitates much
easier process flow aiding in reduction in a travel distance saving of about 180 feet.
Suggestions have also been put forward for saving travel distances in the process flows of
the other parts namely the bracket, cover and impeller. Significant savings have been
evident upon comparison and analysis of the redesigned layouts with their respective
existing ones.

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Figure 4.6 Modified layout for the body part process flow

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 The current state map indicated a high cycle time which was preventing Chola
from producing the required quantity of HOWS that could be delivered to the customers
at the right time. Hence in the future state map, the appropriate lean tools were drawn to
indicate the actions to be taken by Chola to overcome this deficiency. In this regard, the
times being consumed currently to produce one unit of HOWS pump by the facilities are
shown in Figure 4.7.

Figure 4.7 Cycle state of producing one unit of the pump in the current setup

As shown, except in the case of producing rotor, in all the other cases, the cycle
time exceeds the takt time of 420 seconds. It is projected that, on the implementation of
lean manufacturing tools depicted in the future state map, the resources may be balanced
to produce one unit of HOWS pump by consuming the cycle time equivalent to the takt
time. This projection is graphically presented in Figure 4.8. As shown in Figure 4.8, the
resources are distributed in such a way that the cycle time of all units is made equal to or

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less than the takt time. Because of this accomplishment, the work in progress inventory is
reduced. For example, the comparison of information presented in Figures 4.4 and 4.5
would reveal that, the work in progress inventory is currently 1,500, which in future on
implementing lean manufacturing tools is expected to reduce to 80 units. Likewise the
delay caused by waiting between facilities is reduced significantly. For example, the
delay between bracket and cover manufacturing facilities is currently 13 days which is
expected to be only 0.5 day in the future. Furthermore, the distance travelled by both men
and material are expected to reduce on installing the newly proposed layout. The travel
distances that are thus expected to be saved are shown in Table 4.3.

Figure 4.8 Cycle time of manufacturing one unit of pump in lean manufacturing
environment

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Table No. 4.3 Comparison of travel distances
Part Travel distance in the Travel distance in the Expected saving in the
current layout suggested layout travel distance
Body 267 feet 87 feet 180 feet
Bracket 111 feet 97 feet 14 feet
Cover 171 feet 102 feet 69 feet
Impeller 47 feet 10 feet 37 feet
Rotor 128 feet 128 feet 0 feet
Total expected saving in travel distance = 300 feet

As shown, the total distance expected to be saved due to the installation of

proposed layout in the case of manufacturing HOWS pump in the Chola is 300 feet. On
the whole, the projections made in the future state map is expected to enable Chola to
manufacture HOWS pump at the rate that will be equivalent to the takt time and reduce
the cost of manufacturing by decreasing the number of operators and work in progress
inventory.

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 5. CONCLUSION
VSM can be done in the same way for practically any business activity and
expanded upstream or downstream. This powerful tool not only highlights process
inefficiencies, transactional and communication mismatches but also guides about the
improvement areas. Due to competitive pressures, many manufacturing organizations
recognize the importance of becoming lean. However, many are doing lean without
necessarily becoming lean. There is a difference between doing lean and being lean. It is
very unfortunate that many manufacturers have failed to understand in their initial
excitement and eagerness to get started with the lean and cycle time reduction
approaches, is that implementing it involves more than just applying individual concepts
like layout planning, visual control, Kanban and takt time calculations. All the
appropriate tools and concepts must be used in such a way that everyone connected
within the value stream could work together to improve overall flow to the customer with
little or no waste.

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 6. REFERENCES
[1] M. Kishore Kumar, A. John Rajan, R. Kaja Bantha Navas , S.Sahaya Rubinson.
Application of Lean Manufacturing in Mass Production System: A Case Study in Indian
Manufacturing Unit
[2] Dinesh Seth and Vaibhav Gupta. Application of value stream mapping for lean
operations and cycle time reduction: an Indian case study
[3] K. L. Jeyaraj, C. Muralidharan, R. Mahalingam,S. G. Deshmukh Applying Value
Stream Mapping Technique for Production Improvement in a Manufacturing Company:
A Case Study
[4] Sameh Mohamed Fahmi and Tamer Mohamed Abdelwahab Case Study: Improving
Production Planning in Steel Industry in Light of Lean Principles
[5] Manimay Ghosh Lean manufacturing performance in Indian manufacturing plants
[6] Ajit Kumar Sahoo, N. K. Singh, Ravi Shankar, M. K. Tiwari Lean philosophy:
implementation in a forging company
[7] L. BAMBER and B. G. DALE Lean production: a study of application in a
Traditional manufacturing environment
[8] Bhim Singh & Suresh K. Garg & Surrender K. Sharma. Value stream mapping:
literature review and implications for Indian industry
[9] Priti B. Khadse, Avinash D.Sarode, Renu Wasu Lean Manufacturing in Indian
Industries: A Review
[10] Manjunath M., Dr. Shivaprasad H. C., Keerthesh Kumar K. S., Deepa Puthran Value
Stream Mapping as a Tool for Lean Implementation: A Case Study

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