Instruments of Lean production in HOMA company

By 2009 the product demand of HOMA Company exceeded the offer. Stagnation in development of the company was caused by the shortage of production territories and places for equipment installation – so began processes of reforming of a system of job management. The company was faced by the purpose to optimize the existing capacities and to increase performance. After the careful analysis of the existing activity the road map – the step-by-step action plan was developed for achievement of effective objectives using different instruments of lean production: technologization of processes, system implementation 5S, identification, planning taking into account methods of statistical analysis and standards of a quality management system of ISO 9001.

Instruments of Lean production as a basis of growth of efficiency in HOMA Company

The system of the organization of a working space 5S was the first method of lean production which was used by HOMA Company. Its application helped to facilitate further implementation of other methods optimizing the organization of working and technology processes. There is no wonder: system 5S is not only an order in workplaces, and the whole philosophy of low-cost, lean production of goods and services^[1].

System 5S was developed in post-war Japan and over time was widely adopted at the enterprises worldwide. Five S are five words, each of which in the Japanese and English languages begins on letter C (S):

• Sorting (necessary/unnecessary).
• Observance of an order (all on the place).
• Contents in purity (return to an order).
• Standardization.
• Improvement.

The first stage of system 5S – sorting and disposal of unnecessary things. In search of reserves for performance improvement by HOMA Company all substandard product stored in a warehouse, and unnecessary was processed and sold – it is utilized. Warehouse and production premises were so freed and also the additional money before "frozen" in trade inventories were released. In the organization of a production part the second step – rational arrangement and observance of an order was used. The purpose of the second step – to reduce time for search necessary as every minute of idle time of production yields losses to all enterprise. For example, during the time spent on search of a wrench for troubleshooting, the mechanic could lose monthly salary in total volume.

What was made? On all production cabinets there was a replacement of deaf metal doors by transparent mesh, the place for each tool was defined, designated in color and is signed. Now the lack of each adaptation is noticeable with the naked eye, and it is simpler to employee to return it into place after use.

Identification of the equipment, racks, cells for storage of the used container allows the staff of the company to react quickly to the arisen discrepancies and to adjust further actions. For determination of product quality also color identification by the principle of the traffic light was entered: yellow color – if raw materials or finished goods did not undergo quality control, i.e. the status is unknown; green – raw materials or finished goods are ready to use or shipment; red – products which are not meeting standards. Such marking allowed to minimize failures in planning of deliveries, not to make casing of warehouses, mistakes and violations in the production technology.

The third stage of system 5S – check of a condition of equipment and cleaning of a workplace. The capital equipment on production – reactors which process of cleaning occupied very large number of time and required the help of third-party people. Over time, as well as any "irreplaceable" contractors, washermen of reactors ceased to perform the work qualitatively: failure to clean blades of mixers in reactors caused violation on hydrodynamics and led to loss of a coagulate. HOMA company made the decision to refuse third-party services in this question and to make cleaning of the reactor by own forces at any time as soon as the reactor is released. Employees were trained and several trial cleanings then process began to be provided with forces of staff employees of production completely. As a result the general time of cleaning was reduced more than by 10 times, decreased loss of a coagulate by 10 times, expenses on third-party services decreased, and the capacity of reactors considerably grew. The good condition of the equipment and jobs is one of advantages of all HOMA Company: our visitors note purity, an order and harmonious work of everything that is in premises.

The next stage – standardization and planning. During optimization all processes were made so simple and available to understanding that any person could understand and not make easily in them mistakes. Nevertheless, these processes are also described in regulations of HOMA Company that allows to get acquainted with them at any time and to verify actually working process with reference.

Besides, in the company the system minimizing production idle times was developed. Intervals of planning were reduced gradually: with monthly to one week, then to one change. Today in the company the automatic system of hourly production planning is implemented – it allows to define and exclude unplanned technology idle times, to reduce time of planning and to minimize influence of a human factor on result. Here it is important to note that when using hour planning it is necessary to save the rate of works. Amount of works should be evenly distributed on all working time. During a low season, for example, in January, a system is customized in such a way that all production volume is distributed evenly.

Automatic planning is made not only in the course of synthesis, also control of its technology is automated. Control points of temperature and time are entered to the special program which upon termination of process automatically issues the report indicating existence or lack of deviations. In process there is a regular analysis, debugging and further improvement.

Barcoding of raw materials and finished goods for automation of write-off from a warehouse became the next stage. Implementation of the first four stages quickly enough brought notable results, but only thanks to implementation of the fifth stage of system 5S – continual improvement – results manage to be saved for a long time, and the production system continues to remain effective and viable.

It is necessary to mention that system 5S is not the list of actions which need to be held from time to time. The principles underlain in a basis of this system need to be practiced constantly: in HOMA Company it lasts and today. The philosophy of lean production penetrates each section, process, regulations.

In 2017 the new stage of development of HOMA Company – the project on self-produced expansion in Dzerzhinsk of the Nizhny Novgorod Region began. A project objective – increase in volumes of production of own trademark.

The project is expected 5 years. During this time there will be an installation of the new equipment, movement of a part of production lines, moving of the whole production site from Shcherbinka (Moscow area) to Dzerzhinsk. The adjusted and accurately working processes – powerful base on which HOMA Company for carrying out such large-scale conversions relies.

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