Blog Archives

Lean Techniques for Analysing

In apply Lean principles in order to improve we have to start with understand the current manufacturing landscape. Typic…
Top Five Lean Manufacturing Techniques to Improve Quality

The lean revolution started around 30 years ago with the "Quality Movement" lead by the likes of W. Edwards Deming. Our …
Waste Elimination Culture: A Structured Way to Eliminate Waste

How do we approach Waste elimination in a manufacturing environment? Start by developing a structured process that is s…
Managing Your Factory Workload with a Level Production Strategy

One of the problems we see a lot in manufacturing and office processes, particularly make to order processes is the buil…
The Ultimate Guide To Lean Plant Layout

Improving your plant layout using lean methodology can hugely improve plant efficiency. Learn everything you need to kno…
Big Company vs Small Company: What Large and Small Manufacturers Can Learn from Each Another

At TXM we find a lot of interesting learnings that big and small manufacturers can share with one another. Here's our id…
Making Sense of Your Problems With The Cynefin Framework (The 5 Domains With Examples)

Cynefin Framework offers decision-makers a way to view a situation or problem. The model helps categorise the situation …
Understanding Your Production Capacity

What is the production capacity of your business? It is surprising how few manufacturers can answer this question. Even …
The Keys to a Successful Lean Transformation

Many businesses aspire to achieve a Lean Transformation and a few succeed. So, what are the keys to success and what are…
Factory Layout Examples & How to Choose

There are a variety of ways you can shape the flow of your factory. Here are the different types of factory layout examp…
Why There is No Silver Bullet for Improving Operational Performance

Managing operations is hard, sometimes thankless work. Competitive pressure, employee demands, rising costs and demandin…
Operator Maintenance – An Essential Tool or a Disaster Waiting to Happen

One of the key pillars of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), the “Lean” approach to maintenance is Autonomous Maint…
What is One Piece Flow and How Can It Help Your Flow Production Process

Once piece flow is one of the most fundamental concepts of Lean. In one piece flow products flow through each step of a …
What is Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)?

Running closely in parallel with 5S, TPM is the process where the operator becomes involved with the regular, daily main…
Kanban Pull Systems Explained and How to Improve Flow

Kanban is an important part of a flow, or pull, system and is a "sign" that production must act to fulfill an order. Whe…
Making your ERP System live with your Kanban System

The outcome of a well designed and maintained kanban system is that your problems with part shortages are likely to disa…
How to Build Your Own Kanban Boards

Building your own Kanban board can be a lot easier if you follow these three considerations.…
Why The Tools Still Matter In A Lean Production System

“It’s not about the tools” is an observation often made about Lean. That is, that Lean is more than just a set of …
What are Kamishibai Cards (T-cards) and How Best to Use Them for 5S

Often when a TXM consultant talks with a new client, the important concern is sustaining business improvements after the…
What is a Kamishibai Board and What Tasks Should You Add?

We have previously talked about the benefits of using a Red-green task board (also known as a Kamishibai board or tee-ca…
Guide to Practical Lean Standard Work

Standard work is an integral part of lean manufacturing. The goal of standardising the work is to reduce the variability…
The 7 Wastes of Lean and How to Reduce Them in Your Organisation

The 7 Wastes is a way to help us look for the lost time between cycle times and lead times in manufacturing and eliminat…
The Ninth Waste in the Lean Office

We all know about the seven wastes and hopefully can recite them by heart. Most of us now accept that underutilised huma…
The Top 12 Lean Tools for Lean Manufacturing

Read our top 12 Lean tools for sustaining a Lean transformation.…
Make-To-Order Manufacturing and Production Systems

Here we will look at three key Lean Manufacturing tools to help support the implementation of a make to order production…
The PDCA cycle: Plan, Do, Check, Act

How often do you hear the term "PCDA" when it comes to discussing your company's continuous improvement efforts? Seems l…
What is a Value Stream Map?

Surely everyone knows what is a value stream map? At least you would expect Lean practitioners and Lean consultants to k…
There are A3 Plans and then there are A3 Plans

If you've been hanging around the lean community for a while, no doubt you will have come across the concept on an "A3 P…
Guide To Visual Management for a Lean System

Visual Management is the lifeblood of a Lean production system. Learn the details of great visual management.…
The 3 Essentials of a Lean Visual Management Board

Visual Management is the key to driving change in your business. Brush up on your knowledge with our 3 Essentials of a V…
What Is Just-In-Time Manufacturing?

Just in time is one of the best known Lean terms but how does it apply to you and your business? Today we will review th…
Is the Dream of a Fully Automated Factory Worth Pursuing?

Is the dream of a fully automated factory worth pursing? Learn from Tim McLean the best approach to implementing technol…
Theory of Constraints Vs. Lean – Which Makes Sense for Your Business?

The Theory of Constraints vs Lean? Which of these two methodologies is better suited for your business? Read as Tim McLe…
Reviewing Your Skills Matrix: An Example

Using our standard work documentation makes the training task much easier and lets the operators focus on the skill in t…
Single Point Lessons In Manufacturing

Single point lessons, also called 1-page plans, are an important part in establishing and maintaining a new Lean Enterpr…
Are You Ready for An ERP System?

Implementing an ERP System are a common step in the evolution of your business, but there are somethings you need to con…
Five Operational Mistakes Growing Manufacturers Make

Operational mistakes are easy to make and why some businesses fail. Read our latest article delving into the 5 common mi…
Three Places to Find Hidden Capacity in Your Factory

Finding hidden production capacity in your factory is a great way to transform your business and increase production by …
Japanese Lean Study Tour: Lessons in Workforce Engagement

Gain valuable insights on workforce engagement from a Japanese Lean Study Tour. Discover the strategies used by Japanese…
Five Ways to Make Your Joinery Factory Lean and Efficient

Unlock the potential of Lean Thinking in your joinery factory. Improve lead times and deliver quality products with thes…