Time Out : Using Visible Pull Systems to Drive Process Improvement

Time Out introduces a revolutionary process, Visible Pull, for integrating the new world-class management tools aimed at cycle time reduction, quality improvement, and optimum customer service. Many leading companies—DuPont, Union Carbide, and International Specialty Chemicals—have seen significant benefits from its application. Typical benefits have included a 10 to 20 percent gain in capacity, a 30 to 40 percent reduction in inventory, a 50 percent reduction in cycle time, and more. In this authoritative new book, one of Visible Pull's pioneers describes the development of Visible Pull and lays out a detailed roadmap for applying it to your own unique business. With thirty years of hands-on experience, Wayne Smith knows the obstacles that can impede improvement in a plant. Here, he outlines the changes in philosophy and behavior that must take place before progress can be made. Smith differentiates between the traditional, inefficient "push" scheduling, where forecasts are made and everyone pushes material forward to meet the schedule, and the Pull Systems, which limit and control production based on downstream demand. With Visible Pull, workstations act in concert with one another, which in turn enables the company to better allocate resources, build a culture of teamwork, and link time-on-line to business goals. In a series of five logical, carefully structured segments, Smith takes you step-by-step through the entire Visible Pull process, including: Making the Decision—helps you decide if Visible Pull is appropriate for your organization through a high-level overview of its goals, resource requirements, and potential benefits Assessing and Planning—explains how to identify and assess opportunities for improvement, choose the right tools, and develop a specific plan for change Pull Systems—demonstrates how to use Pull Systems as the primary tool for managing time in a process and how to apply them to your specific environment Visible Management and Continuous Im