Lean Quality Management Flashcards

'Kanban' in a lean system is primarily used to:

Answer: Signal the need to produce or replenish items based on actual consumption — a pull signal

Kanban is a visual signaling system that triggers production or replenishment only when needed, supporting a pull-based flow that reduces overproduction and inventory.

'Single-piece flow' (one-piece flow) is preferred in lean because:

Answer: It reduces lead time, exposes problems immediately, and improves quality by processing items one at a time

Single-piece flow minimizes work-in-process inventory, reduces lead time, and surfaces quality problems immediately since defects can't hide in large batches.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is calculated from which three factors?

Answer: Availability, Performance, and Quality

OEE = Availability × Performance × Quality, providing a comprehensive measure of how effectively manufacturing equipment is being utilized.

'Standard work' in lean refers to:

Answer: Documented, repeatable procedures that define the current best way to perform a task, used as the baseline for improvement

Standard work captures the optimal sequence, timing, and method for each operation, creating a stable baseline that ensures consistency and provides a foundation for kaizen.

In lean, a 'pull system' means:

Answer: Downstream processes signal upstream processes to produce only what is needed, when it is needed

A pull system produces items only in response to actual demand signals from downstream processes or customers, preventing overproduction and excess inventory.

'SMED' (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) is a technique for:

Answer: Drastically reducing equipment changeover and setup time to under 10 minutes

SMED, developed by Shigeo Shingo, focuses on converting internal setup activities to external ones and streamlining all setup steps to achieve changeover times under 10 minutes.