Featured Article - August 2005
The Best Factory in the World
By SME
With Norman Bodek’s book “Kaikaku”
having won a Shingo Prize for research, it’s a good time to open it up
and sample a chapter. This is a story about a time when Bodek asked
Shigeo Shingo to take him to the “very best factory in all of Japan.”
The
plant manager, Mr. Fukuda, of the Matsushita (Panasonic) washing
machine plant in Shizuoku welcomed me upon my arrival. My first
impressions were of the cleanliness of the plant grounds, the fresh
paint on the plant exterior, the outdoor athletic equipment, and the
flowers and shrubs. As I entered the building every employee in the
office bowed and greeted me.
Over
tea in a meeting room, Mr. Fukuda and his team talked to me about the
facility. Mr. Fukuda told me that they preferred to hire people who
were enthusiastic about sports. They felt this helped create the
enthusiastic climate in the plant. The athletic equipment I had seen
outdoors encouraged employees to continue playing sports. In fact, the
company’s volleyball team was the best in the nation.
In
the factory, which was spotless, I could see quick die change
techniques being used on the punch presses. I was shown many poka-yoke
devices invented by the employees to prevent defects. Beside each
poka-yoke was a card explaining its purpose and who had invented it.
The
assembly line produced mixed models, each different. In front of every
employee was a video screen showing the operator specific instructions
and quality standards for each washer. The video screens were also
great for sharing news and solving problems together.
I
noticed a person’s name and picture on every production machine. “This
is the person in the plant today who can fix that machine,” I was told.
“We do not have a maintenance department. Our engineers and workers are
taught how to fix the machines. And maybe twice a year we might need
some help from the outside.”
Safety
was a key issue. Safety teams roamed throughout the plant, looking for
things that might happen. In one case a safety team found some
flammable material that could easily have exploded. They also looked
for things that could possibly cause injury. As a result of their
efforts, repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome were
rare. It is better to be proactive than reactive.
Most
parts were made in the plant. Parts purchased from the outside were
delivered to an automated system adjacent to the assembly line, and
came to the operators in small carts just prior to the washing machine
being assembled. The whole plant was synchronized.
However,
nothing is perfect. While I was there, an operator discovered a defect,
and the entire line stopped. Supervisors and other workers quickly ran
over to the problem and had it fixed within minutes. Imagine the level
of respect given to every operator when they have the power to stop the
entire plant to ensure that not a single defect leaves it.
Almost
every available inch of wall space was plastered with charts and
pictures. These came from quality teams, accident prevention teams and
other teams. They were displayed to keep everyone in the plant informed
of improvement activities. Since the charts were created and maintained
by employees and scrutinized by senior management, they were very
effective.
Pictures
of areas of the factory or the office hung throughout the plant.
Workers were encouraged to look at the pictures and talk about them
together, then to make improvements. A month later another picture
would be taken of each area and posted next to the one from before.
When you look at a series of pictures you can see what improvements
were made.
I
noticed a multitude of certificates displayed on the walls and
hallways. Obviously these recognized people who had taken advanced
training courses. The plant was like an ongoing university, with
everyone encouraged to get an advanced degree.
On
the factory floor itself, areas were reserved for group meetings. They
were furnished with chairs, tables, blackboards, and even rugs. Some
were decorated with flowers, green plants and pictures.
This
super-efficient facility had one sole purpose -- to serve their
customers effectively. There was a drive to keep the washing machines
competitively priced and offer the greatest lasting value. Continuous
surveys were conducted to determine what the customer needed in an
efficiently operating washing machine. For example, in Japan, because
electricity costs are high, the washing machines were designed with
fuzzy logic to control washing based on the size of the load and type
of clothes being washed.
After
the visit, I could understand better how it is possible to have a
super-efficient manufacturing plant where people’s needs for growth,
respect and creativity are also met. When you focus on manufacturing
excellence, on the needs of your customers, and on creating a facility
that stimulates your employees, you can become what Dr. Shingo called,
“The best manufacturing plant in the world.”
________________
Norman
Bodek published many of the English translations of seminal Japanese
books on manufacturing systems as president of Productivity Press. More
recently, he has continued to publish books based on his experiences
with what we now call “lean,” and has provided consulting services to
several manufacturing companies.
