Lean framework
Voice of the customer
The term voice of the customer is explained as the concept of understanding the customers and the needs of the customer. A customer may have several requirements based on their needs. On studying the case study, it has been identified that the customer is the Calgary Mail Processing unit located in Canada. An example of the voice of the customer is to eliminate the waste of time that is held in processing the mail in the unit. It is clearly understood that there are several challenges that are identified in processing the mail that are incoming in the Calgary Mail Processing unit (Thiago Coutinho, 2021). Since the mail processing time is more, the customer is requiring to reduce the time in order to reduce the time of delivery. The reduction in the processing time will be helpful in making the faster delivery possible.
Critical Customer Requirements
Critical Customer Requirements is the need or the most specific requirement of the customer that will be enhancing and improving the business. These are requirements that are must have and are based on the customer specifications. An example for the critical customer requirements is the use of the machines that will be reducing the number of employees that are required in the process. With the help of the machine, the time required to sort out the mails is also reduced. Another requirement for the customer is to effectively use the space available so more number of mails can be processed in a day. These are the critical requirements that should be immediately implemented in the Calgary Mail processing unit to reduce the time and the employees used for the processing (Sierra Tierra, 2021). Thus, CCR is based on the voice of the customer and this will be the base for the critical to quality.
Critical to Quality
CTQ or Critical to Quality is the measure or the indicator which helps in tracking the achievements that are made of the various steps that are taken in the business. This could be seen internally from the business and only could be felt externally. These are the characteristics that are highly important to influence the critical customer requirements since the requirements that are satisfied could only be producing the high quality. For example, the time that is required for processing the mail and the space for processing are highly reduced by implementing the machines in the Calgary Mail processing unit (Mindcypress, 2021). The time that are required to be processed is highly reduced to 2 days from 1 day with the help of the implementation. Around 25% of the employees is also reduced along with the faster mailing system when compared to the traditional and older one.
Critical to Process
The Critical To Process (CTP) are the components or the parameters that are highly influencing the Critical to Quality. From the term Critical To Process or CTP it is understood that they are the process that are significant in improving the Critical to Quality and Critical Customer Requirements. An example for Critical To Process is the Takt time, Space used, Lead time, Productivity, Operators, etc. All of this CTPs are to be considered and monitored over the entire process as they are highly critical in processing the mail in the system. For example, the space and the takt time that is used should be reduced so that the faster delivery is ensured. In addition to that there are several other CTPs that will be paving the way are Bag handling time, Processing time, Process Control and Ergonomic assessment.
Identification of the wastes
Reduction of the wastes
Out of the eight wastes that are available in the Lean manufacturing, the four significant wastes that are applicable to the case study are Inventory, Motion, Waiting and Over-processing.
Inventory
The inventory risks are avoided by improving the time in the sorting by using the manual sorting. The inventories that are improper are rectified with the help of the human workers in order to improve it.
Motion
The motion that are made for the mail in the conveyors that consumes the space and the time are reduced by manual processing of the mail (Nancy Bach, 2021). The motion of mail through the conveyors are reduced since the sorting operations are bring closer to the docks.
Waiting
The wastes in the waiting time of the mail for processing is reduced as the overall processing time is reduced. Since the processing is made simple by making the machines closer and reduced space, the waiting time is reduced.
Over-processing
It is the most important waste in the mail processing as the mails will be moving all over the unit. This has been reduced by making manual from automatic where initial sorting is effectively done. The other process that are automated can be easily done by reduced conveyors.
Effect of waste reduction in project
The waste reduction is one of the most significant process in any business and has been highly suggested by the Lean manufacturing. This is because of the reason that the waste will be losing most of the revenue and the time in the business. With the help of the lean process, the wastes that are identified are studied and they are planned to be reduced. On reduction of all the above four wastes, the challenges that are faced in the entire system has been reduced. For example, the reduction of the over-processing has been highly reducing the time and the costs that are used for processing. Each of the four wastes are taking more time, processing and the costs that are used for the processing of the mails (Jacqueline Ann Douglas, 2015). The waste reduction here done has reduced the time and hence more number of mails can be processed and also improving the time of the delivery of the mail. The motion of the mail in the unit is reduced by reducing the space and making the machines nearer to one another. The conveyor reduction also reduces some fewer back injuries to the workers in the processing system.
Tools used for waste reduction
The tools that are used under the PMBOK knowledge areas for the reduction of the wastes are project time management and the project human resource management. Both of these knowledge areas which are under PMBOK helps in reducing the time and the workers used for the processing of the mail.
Project time management
The time management can be done by studying the each and every task that are performing in the manufacturing. Here, the task of each of every unit is studied and identified that time taken on conveyors and sorting machine is more. The reason and the people who are involved are identified and then they wastes that are causing the increase in the time has been eliminated to reduce the time taken for processing.
Project human resource management
The human resource management is also called as the management of the workers who are working in the project or an organization. The performance and the working time of the workers are analyzed in order to understand the requirements in the human resources. More number of resources are employed in the sorting of the mail in order to make it manual to improve the speed of processing (Bernie Roseke, 2017). Then the workers who are in the other processing are reduced by making it automated and brining it nearer to each other.
Principles of House of Lean
Under the house of lean there are several principles available and the most suitable principles for the Calgary Mail Processing unit are Elimination of the wastes, Problem solving and System stability. These are the principles of lean that suits in improving the business process of given case study which is Calgary Mail Processing Unit. The following are actions that are taken in supporting the implementation of the identified principles.
Elimination of wastes
The waste elimination is one of the prime principles that has to be followed in every lean project to improve the business process in terms of efficiency and the performance. The wastes will be causing loss and the increase in the requirement of the time and the resources. In order to avoid this, proper waste management techniques has to be handled by the business. In the Calgary Mail processing unit, there are several wastes identified namely, Inventory, Motion, Waiting and Over-processing (Shaman Gupta, 2013). Each of these wastes should be identified in the tasks and they have to be resolved with the proper mechanisms. The space that are wasted are reduced to half and thus the conveyors required to transmit the mails to far be controlled. Thus, the number of conveyors and its size are reduced which helps in reduction of the power and the operators.
Problem solving
There will be several problems occurring when dealing with the project management. In the lean manufacturing the problem solving is a principle in which the problems that are occurred in the business should be effectively solved. Once when the problems are solved, then the business improvement and the updates can be easily done. There are several problems identified in the case study namely, the automatic sorting will be taking more time and there are issues of jamming in the conveyors. Once the problems are identified, then effective solutions has to be implemented in order to solve them. The action that is taken here is that automatic sorter has been replaced by manual sorting in order to speed up the process and accuracy of the process. This also reduces the conveyor and thus mail bags that are jammed are controlled in the mail processing unit.
System stability
A system should be stable and strong in order to effective manufacture a product or perform any service. The defects that are available in the system should be identified and it should be effectively resolved. The other factors that are affecting the stability of the system should also have to be understood and maintained (Jaiprakash Bhamu, 2014). In the case study, it is identified that factors that are effecting the stability of the system are space takt time, Bag handling time, Processing time, Process Control and Ergonomic assessment. Each of these factors have monitored and managed in order be under control. For example, the takt time should not be exceeding more which will increase the entire processing time of the mail bags. Thus, the stability of the system can be achieved by improving the measures that are identified.
Conclusion
Stakeholder management
There are external as well as the internal stakeholders in the organization working in the organization. For the transformation of the project from the traditional style to the lean management style, stakeholder management is essential. The various stakeholder management that are used in the project are effective communication, proper planning and managing the risks.
Effective communication
The communication between each of the stakeholders like the workers, top management and the other external resources has been effectively developed. The discussion regarding the transformation and its benefits are done so that they could understand the importance of the transformation. The communication has been effectively planned and they has been implemented in the organization to communicate with the stakeholders (T. S. Nguyen, 2018). Every information will be discussed among the team members for effective understanding of the system process.
Proper planning
The planning should be properly made in the organization in order to work with any project transformation. The effective planning should be done at the very initial stage with the all the stakeholders involved in the project. The need of the involvement of the stakeholders is that any requirement and the changes to the project will be discussed at the very initial stage. For example, the need of space, conveyor requirements will be planned accordingly in the project.
Managing the risks
Since the project has to be effectively transformed from the traditional to the lean based project, there will be occurring several risks in the project. The risk management also involved of the processes namely risk identification, planning, management and the control. The involvement of the stakeholders in the risk management is essential so that they can be effectively identified and controlled.
Lessons learned from the case study
From the discussion of the given case study of Calgary Mail Processing Unit, the ways of project transformation and management has been understood. I have learned some of the skills that have to be improved regarding working with the project. The following are some of the reflections from the case study discussion.
· I have understood for the successful engagement with the stakeholders, the communication should be highly effective. Communication with each and every stakeholders of the organization should be developed using the proper framework. The challenges that are identified in the communication should be resolved so that each and every stakeholders of the project is effectively engaged. Thus, I will have to improve the communication methods to deal with the various stakeholders of the project.
· Risk management is a process that helps in identifying the risks that are involved in the project and the ways to overcome the issues identified. I have to be aware of the risks that may be arising in the project and should have planned for effective risk mitigation plans. The risks should be managed effectively with the help of risk control mechanisms. As a project manager, I will have to discuss the risks that are identified in the project among the team members. I have to understand risks and the ways to overcome the risks.
References
Bernie Roseke, 2017. Project Human Resource
Management According to the PMBOK. [Online]
Available at: https://www.projectengineer.net/project-human-resource-management-according-to-the-pmbok/
[Accessed 02 September 2021].
Jacqueline Ann Douglas, 2015. Waste identification and elimination in HEIs: the role of Lean thinking. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 32(9), pp. 970 - 981.
Jaiprakash Bhamu, K. S. S., 2014. Lean manufacturing: Literature review and research issues. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 34(7), pp. 876-940.
Mindcypress, 2021. What
is CTQ in six sigma. [Online]
Available at: https://blog.mindcypress.com/p/what-is-ctq-in-six-sigma
[Accessed 01 September 2021].
Nancy Bach, 2021. 8
Lean Wastes: How to Identify & Eliminate Them. [Online]
Available at: https://www.eonsolutions.io/blog/learn-to-identify-the-eight-lean-wastes-and-eliminate-them
[Accessed 01 September 2021].
Shaman Gupta, S. K. J., 2013. A literature review of lean manufacturing. International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management, 8(4), pp. 241-249.
Sierra Tierra, 2021. Critical
to Customer (CTC). [Online]
Available at: https://sixsigmastudyguide.com/critical-to-customer/
[Accessed 01 September 2021].
T. S. Nguyen, S. M. K. P., 2018. Stakeholder Management in Complex Project: Review of Contemporary Literature. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management , 8(2), pp. 75-89.
Thiago Coutinho, 2021.
What is Voice of the Customer (VoC) in a Six Sigma Project?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.thinkleansixsigma.com/article/voc
[Accessed 01 September 2021].
No comments:
Post a Comment