Posts in category Six Sigma


Six SigmaTerms

Andon Board

The Andon Board, also known as an Andon Cord, is a status board usually erected high enough to ensure visibility by all of the factory workers.

Use: The Andon Board is a part of a visual factory. It is a way for everyone to see the status of the flow, and flow stoppages throughout the day. The concept started in Japan and is now used widely as a way to both visually see and sometimes hear when conditions change throughout the day.

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Six SigmaTerms

Process Mapping

Process map is an illustration of the entire process. It is usually drawn by the team facilitator on a large whiteboard or a long stretched out roll of ‘butcher’ paper. The process map gives the team visualization of how the process works. The process map is a simple, but very powerful tool that really is not meant to be a decision-by-decision flowchart; instead, it is more of a block diagram that shows the various steps of the whole process.

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Six SigmaTerms

5S – Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, Sustain

5S derives its name from five Japanese terms beginning with the letter ‘S’. A conscientiously-applied program of 5S creates a workplace suited for visual control and Lean production. Collectively, the five S’s (detailed below) outline how to create a workplace that is visibly organized, free of clutter, neatly arranged, and sparkling clean. The 5S system is often a starting place for implementing Lean operations.

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