The improvement system for
planning, controlling, purchase and logistics

For planning, controlling, purchase and logistics the task is to provide the prerequisites for a profitable production to secure the daily production. A large number of improvement methods is available for this sector worldwide which can be used to increase efficienca. Professional systems based on the Toyota-Production-Systems are very successful, especially the "14 success principles of Toyota”,"value-stream-mapping” and the following "value-stream design” to name but a few. For efficient daily production it is necessary to continuously measure quality, tact times and machine availability.

The simplest way to continuously measure efficiency is the"Productivity-Cockpit". The "Productivity-Cockpit" provides both top- and middle-management as well as machine operators with clear information.

Top-Management is interested in overall equipment effectiveness in %. This is a key figure giving a summary statement of the key factors of an efficient production which are machine availability in %, observance of planned cycle times and produced quality in %. These three percentages are multiplied and show the overall equipment effectiveness.

Middle-Management, department heads, team leaders, and line managers are interested in each of the three separate figures: machine availability, observance of cycle times and produced quality.

Machine operators get information on good and bad parts produced and the resulting key figure from the Productivity-Cockpit. Moreover it shows observance of the given tact time and how the tact time has affected overall production time which is shown in a Gaussian distribution. At the same time the operator gets information on how long the machine has been in active production and how long the machine has needed for producing the order summarizing production and standstill times.

These efficiency figures are saved for each order and thus the comparison of the orders shows irregularities and need of improvement.

In order to make a long-term use of the right improvement knowledge over and over again proven workshop methods are needed for day-to-day solutions for leaders and operators. Among these are e.g. the "Macro-Process-Analysis", the "Micro-Process-Analysis", the "Fault-Analysis" and the "Improvement Cycle". Employees not only need trouble-shooting systems but methods they can use again and again once problems occur.