Focusing on the process

Lean practices aim at changing the way managers, engineers, and assembly workers view their jobs. This first installment in a two-part series on lean manufacturing focuses on the principles that make up this production philosophy.

In a continuously changing aerospace marketplace, companies must identify new ways to remain competitive while continuing to expand their capabilities. Many companies have embraced lean principles to cut waste and improve their efficiency, freeing much of the resources tied up in unproductive tasks and employing them in areas of opportunity.

According to Chuck Moritz III, Manager of Lean Strategy and Integration at Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems and author of its Lean Manufacturing brochure, the move toward lean processes begins with identifying waste and understanding its causes. Waste can be caused by variability in operations, machine downtime, and scrap and rework. Examples of waste include excessive inventory, waiting, non-value-added motion, transport, defects, over-processing, and over-production.