Blog Archives

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…
Top Five Organisational Structure Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Organisational structures are challenging to perfect due to the intricate balance required between promoting efficiency,…
A Dream Come True – Luciano’s Japanese Kaizen Study Tour

Luciano Peloche, TXM Consulting Operations Manager, has always dreamt of going to Japan one day. He was drawn to the Jap…
How to Manufacture “Manufactured Buildings” Like a Real Manufacturer!

Modular buildings are becoming common place across the globe but there are a few things to consider to get the most out …
What is Industry 5.0?

What is Industry 5.0? how does it differ from Industry 4.0? Learn the differences and how to prepare for Industry 5.0 in…
Lean vs Six Sigma – Which Should You Choose?

Next to Lean, Six Sigma is probably the most popular process improvement methodology in the world. As a business startin…
What is Lean Manufacturing?

Discover what Lean Manufacturing is, it's methodologies, it's main purpose, why its important, what are lean principles …
What is Lean Supply Chain Management?

Lean Supply Chain Management is a philosophy that champions waste reduction and process simplification. It’s a sys…
Lean Visual Management Tools: 5 Types of Visual Controls

Visual Management and Visual Controls go hand in hand they are the life blood of a Lean production system. Raed as we ex…
How Do You Reduce Lead Time in Your Supply Chain?

Excessively long lead times are the single biggest factor leading to poor supply chain performance. If your business is …
Practical Tips for Warehouse Signage

We often talk about the importance of visual controls, and how they help to improve the efficiency of our teams. On a re…
Leveraging Digital Solutions in a Lean Management System

Industry 4.0 is here and there is more and more talk about using digital solutions to solve manufacturing problems. Tim …