Lean Manufacturing Software

The lean manufacturing process uses lean principles, tools, and practices to eliminate waste, optimize processes, and boost business growth. Anything that doesn’t add value to the company or the customer is considered waste and eliminated in the lean manufacturing process. Lean manufacturing software enables companies to implement lean manufacturing principles with the agility needed for today’s ever changing marketplace.  A Connected Worker platform assists in adopting lean principles and improving manufacturing productivity by digitizing these work processes and connecting workers to the knowledge support they need to do their best work.

What is Lean Manufacturing Software?

Lean manufacturing software connects your warehouse management system to the production line machinery. Cloud-based lean manufacturing software generates analytics and insights using real-time production data to streamline business processes for efficiency. The main aim of the software is to maximize the productivity of the plant, factory or warehouse.

Business leaders can determine the areas with the most customer value and map value streams accordingly. Lean manufacturing tools identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies causing production delays.

They’re also helpful in minimizing waste across the shop floor, identifying and reducing machine downtimes using accurate data to optimize preventive maintenance processes, or enabling automation in the manufacturing process to reduce or eliminate waste.

Why and How do Companies Use Lean Manufacturing Software?

Lean manufacturing Software helps companies achieve their operational goals and implement lean principles in their manufacturing processes. Some of the most important ways manufacturers use lean manufacturing software are:

• Automation: Helps create low code/no-code workflows that can automate different processes such as job assignment, work instructions, user notifications or email alerts. This allows project managers to stay updated on any new task assigned to them or an alert them if the due date of a task is nearing.

• Reporting: Tracks various metrics and key performance indicators and analyze the results to measure the success of lean initiatives. Managers can keep an eye on areas for improvement for a worker or a process. With Connected Worker Platforms supervisor can monitor an individual worker who is lagging behind and offer them mentorship to improve their performance. They can also provide positive feedback to reinforce good behaviors.

• Communication: Gets the entire team in sync so that everyone is updated about the tasks they’ve been assigned  and problems that are arising during production. With Front Line Worker platforms this can be done through chat integration, in platform announcements and Smart Alert keyword supported notifications.

• Collaboration: Removes silo barriers and helps in improving the communication between different teams and departments inside the organization through increased operational visibility and the communication channels mentioned above.

• Knowledge base: Lean manufacturing software saves all the lean information in a single place so that you can learn from your past successes as well as failures and improve upon them.

Connected Worker Platforms as a Lean Manufacturing Solution

In a Connected Worker platform, workers are integrated into their working environment with commonly used devices such as smartphones, laptops, smart glasses and tablets. Through a Connected Worker platform, workers get access to detailed task instructions and real-time data to report and prevent machine problems.

Here are a few ways in which the Connected Worker platform help organizations enable lean manufacturing principles:

Continuous Improvement

Disorganization is the enemy of efficient production. In a Connected Worker platform, each task is timestamped accurately. This gives holistic data insights and visibility to  manufacturers about the time taken to complete each task and helps them discover the best practices for making their product without overprocessing. These best practices can be integrated into the workflow so that the front line workers are working to a standard.

The standard can be validated by photographic or video proof of step completion. Workers can be supported with highly visual step specific instruction to make sure they have the information they need without added wait time. You can test different hypothesis by dividing the team into different sections to test and compare working procedures and find out the best suited for the process. The real-time data empowers management to base process iterations on knowledge rather than supposition.

Pursue perfection

The quality of your product depends on the quality of your workers.  A Connected Worker platform provides the ability for front-line workers to chat or communicate with each other during a task or get remote assistance from an expert about a machine or a certain production process. This allows your frontline teams to take ownership of the task and point out process inefficiencies and action solutions. This means companies can pursue perfection in line with lean manufacturing principles.

Reducing information and goods transfer waste

Improper knowledge or training for a particular machine can lead to inefficient processes and a huge wastage of resources, time and money. Think of all the time front line teams waste looking for instructions in three-ring binders and waiting to get printed instructions in the first place.  With Connected Worker platforms, workers have all the information they need at their fingertips. Instructions are available on demand, are easily searchable and provide simple, visually rich instructions specific to the job at hand.

Front line workers no longer have to use paper-based workflows for performing a task that requires time-wasting dual data entry at the end of a shift.  Reports are automatically generated at the end of each job and made available to management.

Shop floor managers don’t have to spend hours breaking tasks into discrete jobs or printing off work instructions. The process can be totally automated through a Connected Worker Platform.

‍Lean Manufacturing Software Conclusion

‍It is important to choose the right technology partners for making the lean manufacturing software implementation a success.

‍Atheer’s low code/ no code Connected worker platform enables companies to follow the lean manufacturing approach without needless inconvenience for your IT teams. Connected Worker Platforms are a digital transformation project you can get over the goal line.

Atheer provides a suite of modern lean manufacturing tools which empowers frontline teams to work faster, better, and safer. It’s no-code platform automates time wasting business processes and improves collaboration among your front line to solve problems quickly and prevent them from happening in the first place.

Atheer’s AR Powered Connected Worker platform can not only track important metrics and KPIs but also gives insight into your past success and failures. With access to real-time data, detailed training, work instructions, and remote expert assistance, Connected Workers help companies adopt lean manufacturing principles and improve their processes to meet supply chain disruptions and a skilled worker crisis while raising crucial OEE metrics such as Availability, Performance and Quality.

Contact us now for a demo of how Atheer can help enable lean manufacturing for your business.