Trendspotting: Workflow Part 2—Lean and Mean

In part one of this four-part series, we defined workflow and identified some ways to get started with analyzing and optimizing your workflow without breaking the bank. In part two, we will dive a little deeper into how you can analyze and optimize your operation using readily available tools and techniques. First, though, some definitions.

Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing or lean production, often referred to just as just "lean," is a production practice that has been in common use in a wide variety of manufacturing industries for some time, and it is just recently getting the level of attention it deserves from the printing industry. This process management philosophy really originated with Toyota decades ago, and the term "lean" came into more common use in the 1990s.

Lean is focused on getting the right things to the right place at the right time in the right quantity for an efficient workflow that minimizes waste. While that sounds fairly structured, the principles of lean also demand a high level of flexibility and the ability to adapt to last-minute or unexpected changes. If there was ever an industry that needed all of these things, it is ours!

Many books have been written about lean production, and a good selection of those can be found by searching for "lean manufacturing" on Wikipedia, or by visiting specialty sites such as Lean.org. The literature, of course, is generally not specific to the printing industry, but it is the principles of lean are important to understand, and they can be applied to almost any manufacturing process.

Our industry associations also offer terrific resources to help you implement lean principles in your business. Most notably, IPA offers an e-learning course, called eLEAN, that can be taken online at your convenience for a very affordable $350 member price (www.ipa.org). You can also find resources that will help you at www.CIP4.org, the standards body responsible for the development of the JDF standard. JDF is likely to be a critical element of any lean implementation in the printing industry.

Dave Zamorski, COO of New Jersey's Associates Graphic Services (AGS) has been an aggressive proponent of Lean in his own organization, in the industry at large, and within his local manufacturing community.

AGS has reaped significant rewards from those efforts. AGS was the first place winner of the prestigious CIP4 International Print Production Innovation Award in 2008 awarded by CIP4 for "Biggest improvement in quality production and customer responsiveness as a result of process automation." Zamorski reports that between 2005 and 2008 AGS sales increased 38 percent, and from 2007 to 2008, the company's revenues grew by 9 percent. The firm added three marketing professionals and four IT and programming professionals since 2006.

Despite that, and with an increased investment in equipment, workflow and software, the company has compressed its employment from a height of 84 to a current level of 56. At the same time, productivity increased 86 percent. More revenues and less employees who are more productive go a long way toward translating into increased profits. Zamorski noted, "This would be nearly impossible to do without automation and a good relationship with our vendors."

Zamorski also points out that almost every state has a Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP), and highly recommends participation in your local organization.

Value Stream Mapping

Value Stream Mapping, or VSM, is a lean technique that is used to analyze the flow of material and information required to bring a product or service to market. If you read part one of this series, we talked about following a job ticket through the shop to see where bottlenecks and inefficiencies might occur. VSM puts that process on steroids and allows you to quantify the opportunities for improvement in the process in a logical and thorough manner.

With respect to VSM, Zamorski, who has used this technique successfully, recommends seeking professional help before implementing. This can be acquired through your local MEP, one of the industry associations or from one of the consultants that specialize in this area.

He offers this sage advice: "Remember to treat what you do as a manufacturer, not as a printer. Try to utilize an 80 percent rule, which means if 8 products (tri-folds, sell sheets, etc.) make up 80 percent of your sales, create a VSM on one of those products. If you can streamline those 8 products and create a workflow based on those, you have done the right thing. Too many businesses workflows are based off of one-timers or exceptions. Those are added to the workflow even though 80 percent of the time they are just an extra step."

He also cautions that it is critical to be honest about the actual steps. For example, bindery or any other department is NOT one step. Cutting, scoring, folding, shrink wrapping, and boxing are all touches or steps in bindery. Each must be included in the VSM, or the benefits will not accrue.

A good VSM analysis will help you see which process "touches" add value and which do not, making it easier to eliminate the right steps in the process and to focus resources on the value-adding steps.

Spaghetti Diagram

You will often hear lean practitioners talk about spaghetti diagrams. A spaghetti diagram is a tool that helps establish the optimum workflow based on the number of touches, distances traveled, time consumed, etc., to accomplish a process. It is a good starting point, and less complex than VSM. It will provide a high-level view of the actual workflow in your shop.

It gets its name from the fact that the lines of movement drawn on the diagram often resemble a pile of tangled cooked noodles. It is a terrific waste observation tool, even for lean beginners, and can be a good precursor to bringing in a VSM expert, who can then begin helping you apply costs and values to each of the noodles in your diagram as well as to remove some of those unnecessary noodles.

Start by identifying a process to observe. Trace the movement of the person working within the process you are observing, just they way they are moving. For example, how does sales secure an estimate? How many back-and-forths are there between the sales rep and the estimator? Is the CSR involved? How about production management?

Even something as simple as shipping labels can involve an amazing amount of motion and lots of spaghetti. One company I spoke with found that that when proofs or mock-ups were ready to ship, the Project Manager, located on the second floor, would print a packing slip, take it downstairs to Shipping, where Shipping would create the shipping label. Shipping staff then brought the label and packing slip to Prepress who would package up the proof or mock-up and return it to the Shipping Department for delivery.

A simple process change that allowed the Project Manager to print the packing slip and label in his second floor offices, bringing them together with the job in Prepress when it was time to ship, saved 15 to 20 minutes of staff time per proof. That may not sound like a lot of time, but it does add up when you consider the hundreds of proofs and mock-ups shipped on an annual basis.

If lean is new to your organization, the lines on your spaghetti diagram might even turn the page black. But don't despair; this is the color of opportunity. It gives you the opportunity to question the need for every line of motion, solicit ideas from the people in the area, rethink the process and draw another spaghetti diagram to compare.

If lean is new to your organization, it may seem a little overwhelming to implement. But keep in mind that this process has been around for a long time, and lots of people have developed tools to help make it easier.

Zamorski recommends www.Systems2Win.com as one good resource to explore. The site offers preconfigured Excel templates for Value Stream Mapping, spaghetti diagrams, cross-functional flowcharts and much more. It even offers free training and free trials to test the waters.

The Time Is Now

Wasted motion means wasted money and lost profits. Even in good times, lean is an important strategic tool. But in times like these, it becomes even more critical to optimize your workflow. Take advantage of the wide array of tools and resources that are available within the industry and from outside resources as well.

As humorist Will Rogers once said, "Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Taking the first step is the hardest part. Take the plunge and take that first step now.

Cary Sherburne is a journalist, author, and marketing consultant working. Her tenure in the printing and publishing industry has included positions at Xerox Corp., Indigo America, and Bitstream, and she has written three books. Sherburne can be reached at cary@sherburnesssociates.com.