Chapter 5. Create Connected Process Flow 107exceeded the agreed-upon limit (the standard). Agreements were
established (standards) regarding the allowance of shifting work (e.g.,
the simple jobs could shift to the medium value stream, but the com-
plex jobs could not shift to the simple stream). Also, clear rules were
established regarding who was allowed to make the shift. If all teams
fell behind based on the defined limits, overtime was used to support
the workload.
Within each team, the elements of flow were established between each
operation. Because of the inherent variation in time required from order
to order, a connection mechanism was needed to buffer the variation
in work times, but also to support flow and surface problems. Single-
piece flow was not possible. In this case a sequenced queue (sometimes
referred to as a FIFO lane) was utilized. The queue rack had a defined
number of spaces to indicate the status of flow and balance between
operations. The team leader monitored the queue levels and made minor
adjustments within the cell (e.g., completing an order “off line” and
reinserting it) to support balance. As always, these adjustments were
only made when the condition exceeded the defined agreement, and
after careful assessment of the situation.
For example, if the defined agreement was a maximum of five orders
between team members, and the maximum level was reached, the team
leader would be notified by the team member to evaluate the situation.
If the team leader determined that the subsequent orders were simpler
for the downstream operator (the one who is “behind”), he or she might
decide to take no action. The imbalance could be temporary and correct
itself on the following orders. If the product mix had complex orders
downstream at the bottleneck, an automatic correction was not likely,
and the team leader would make adjustments.
In addition to improving flow, the teams realized that separating
orders according to complexity and difficulty provided an opportunity
to train new associates on simpler jobs before progressing to more
complex work. Associates from different departments became part of
one team, and cross training was done to facilitate flexibility within
the team. Locating operations in close proximity facilitated quicker
feedback on problems as well, and the “rework” required was
reduced significantly.
This group was able to create a dramatic reduction in the lead time
for orders, especially the crucial “finish-up” jobs. As the business grew,
the order-processing group consistently processed a much greater
number of orders without the addition of associates or the need for
overtime.