CPM Lean Manufacturing & Waste Reduction Flashcards

Which of the eight wastes in lean manufacturing refers to overproduction causing excess inventory buildup?

Answer: Overproduction

Overproduction is considered the worst lean waste because it generates excess inventory that ties up capital and hides other problems.

In a Value Stream Map (VSM), what does the 'push' arrow symbol indicate?

Answer: Material or information pushed regardless of downstream need

A push arrow in VSM indicates that material is moved forward based on a schedule or forecast rather than actual downstream demand.

What is the primary purpose of a 5S workplace organization program in a plant environment?

Answer: Create a safe, organized, and standardized work environment

5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) establishes a disciplined, visual workplace that supports safety and efficiency.

A plant manager implements Kaizen events. What is the typical duration and focus of a Kaizen event?

Answer: 3–5 day rapid improvement workshop focused on a specific process problem

Kaizen events (or blitzes) are intensive 3–5 day workshops where a cross-functional team rapidly improves a targeted process area.

Takt time is calculated as:

Answer: Available production time divided by customer demand rate

Takt time = Available production time ÷ Customer demand, setting the pace at which products must be produced to meet demand.

Which lean tool is specifically designed to reduce changeover/setup time between production runs to less than 10 minutes?

Answer: SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die)

SMED is the lean methodology for reducing equipment changeover time by converting internal setup steps to external steps performed while the machine runs.