106 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK
As with any situation where flow is attempted, the balance of work
time and content was a major challenge. Any particular job might
take longer to complete in order entry than in CAD, or vice versa.
Bottlenecks shifted continuously, and as a result the lead time through
the process varied considerably. This problem was compounded when
associates were absent from work (especially if the current order mix
was such that more time was required in the department with an
absent associate).
The process was first mapped, and the product was evaluated for sep-
aration into product families (value streams). The decision to split the
product into families was necessitated by the need to isolate variation,
as described in Chapter 4. The product was divided into three value
streams based on the complexity and time required to process each
order. The most complex orders with the greatest degree of variation
became one value stream, and the simpler finish-up jobs with the least
amount of variation became another. The final value stream (the majority
of orders) included orders that were more “standard” in terms of com-
plexity and time required.
The group realized that the associates could be aligned in “teams” to
create work cells dedicated to the particular product value stream. The
office was rearranged so members in the teams were sitting next to
each other. This facilitated the flow of orders. The separation of orders
according to complexity and time required also allowed for a defined
standard number of associates for each value stream. When this is
defined it is often discovered that there are “extra” people in the
process. In fact they are not “extra” per se, since the time is utilized
to “cover” for any variation, including absences. It is preferable to
define the correct number of associates required (based on takt time
and work content) for standardized work and the desired flow. If each
position is standardized, it is essentialthat it be filled continuously!In
this case the “extra” associates become team leaders, and fulfill many
important functions that will be described in Chapter 10, including
filling in for associates who are absent.
As explained earlier in the chapter, it was necessary to define the
agreement between operations for flow, to dedicate the resources,
space, and method, and to develop a control mechanism so that
each value stream could achieve connected flow. An important aspect
of these elements is the visual awareness of status within each cell.
After receipt, each order was identified, placed in a colored folder
according to the designated value stream, and put in a queue rack.
The leader was able to see the workload and make adjustments as
necessary to shift some work to other value streams if the “backlog”
