製造業と品質管理において知っておくべき5つの日本のリーン用語

For Manufacturing: the Japanese Lean terms are must-know vocabulary in manufacturing or quality as these have no direct equivalent and are used as-is in an industrial context.

There are a variety of Japanese manufacturing lean terms, but we list here a shortlist of Japanese terms to know in リーンシックスシグマ, and more generally in any plant, product, or process improvement. Not for a show-off attitude, but because these are usually more concise and dedicated than their translation equivalent; and simply because there ARE commonly used lean terms in western industries by now.

Japanese Lean Terms

カイゼン

A key vocabulary to start the Lean terms list is Kaizen meaning literally

Kaizen “Change for the good” = improvement

or “change for the better”. All Lean activities are aimed at this continuous Kaizen. It emphasizes continuous improvement in all areas of business. Kaizen is based on the idea that small, incremental changes can lead to big results over time. The goal of kaizen is to eliminate waste and improve efficiency in all aspects of the manufacturing process.

Kaizen is a team-based approach that relies on the collective input of workers to identify and implement improvements. This bottom-up approach to problem-solving ensures that everyone in the organization has a vested interest in the success of the company and that improvements are based on the real needs of those who are doing the work. This approach helps to ensure that waste is constantly being removed from the manufacturing process. The リーン生産方式 production methodology focuses on minimizing waste in all forms, including overproduction, defects, inventory, motion, and waiting time as seen in Mudas hereafter.

Kaizen is a key component of Lean manufacturing, as it provides a mechanism for continual improvement that can be quickly implemented and adapted as new problems and opportunities arise as seen below with the other lean terms.

Kanban

Kanban, with its Japanese word meaning ＆#8220;sign＆#8220; または ＆#8220;billboard”, は 1 tool それ helps に visualize the process, its current state, and its targets, そして more generally to schedule and optimize の flow of 仕事 in a lean そして just＆#8211;で＆#8211;時間 (JIT) manufacturing.

A kanban usually takes the form of very visual boards where the work で process は represented による cards それ は moved along の line as the work progresses, such as:

• • Kanban boards に track 仕事 で progress そして visualize の flow of 仕事. This できる help identify bottlenecks そして areas のために improvement when cards get stuck and/or empty slots appear
  • Kanban sheets to manage inventory levels. This できる help ensure それ materials は available when needed, in a pull organization, そして help reduce waste.
  • Kanban に スケジュール production to help ensure それ 仕事 は flowing smoothly そして それ deadlines は met
  • Kanban boards to track quality by identifying issues early そして ensuring それ products meet customer expectations

ヒント： as with project scorecards, or sprint or scrum boards, be very visual: use a mix of simple shapes (square, circles, triangle) and easy 色分け to convey the message.

ヒント： it must be located close to the worker (in the 現場, see below) and have sufficient free space nearby to permit very quick daily team meetings in front of it

Anyone just passing by, even unfamiliar with the process, must see the state and the ongoing challenge in the blink of an eye

現場

Gemba is a Japanese Lean term that means “the real place.” In lean manufacturing, Gemba is the place where the value is added to the product. This could be the factory floor, the office for a service, or any other place where useful work for the customer is performed.

The goal of lean is to eliminate waste in all forms, and Gemba is where waste is most likely to occur. By identifying and eliminating waste at the source, lean manufacturing strives to create a more efficient and effective workplace.

ムダ

From 無駄 = “Useless”, by extension waste or unnecessary work. In Lean manufacturing, muda is used to refer to waste that occurs when workers are performing

any tasks それ do ない add value に の product または service

This できる include もの like waiting のために materials, waiting のために approvals, または performing tasks それ could なれ automated. Eliminating メートルuda(s) will help に improve efficiency そして reduce costs で 製造 そして other types of businesses. The Lean methodology has identified 7 family types of Mudas, the 7 リーン生産方式の無駄:

• • Transport
  • 在庫
  • Motion
  • Waiting
  • Over-Processing
  • 過剰生産
  • 欠陥

which can easily be remembered by “TIMWOOD” (first letter of each waste)

Bonus: it is sometimes mentioned an 8th Muda: waste of talent: the fact of not utilizing available HR talent efficiently

ポカヨケ

ポカヨケ is a Japanese quality control term derived from the Japanese words “poka” which means avoid, and “yokeru” which means a mistake. It is a physical technique for preventing mistakes or errors in a process, by making them either literally impossible or at least highly improbable

• a tool with a keyed pattern that can not enter into another hole
• a shelf that can only hold a specific dedicated part or only one part

Pok1＆#8211;yoke デバイス または methods は 使用済み に make 1 process easier に understand そして follow に prevent errors without any later effort by becoming idiot-proof.

Poka-yoke can be used in various manufacturing processes to improve quality control.

Examples of Poka-Yoke:

1. 1. 1 door それ opens で の direction それ 1 person は facing. This ensures それ の person は ない trying に enter の room の wrong way, making the walk efficient and more secured
   2. 1 light equipped with a sensor that would turn on when 1 person enters 1 room そして turns off when の person leaves の room. This helps に save energy without even thinking about it and reminds people に turn off の light when 彼らは 離れる
   3. 1 device on 1 sewing machine それ prevents の needle from piercing の fabric unless の presser foot は down
   4. an accessory on 1 car それ prevents の engine from starting unless の parking brake は engaged
   5. a software feature それ prevents の user from saving 1 file unless it has been properly renamed to overwrite other files 
   6. a lock or a sensor mechanism on a milling machine それ prevents の machine from starting if の door は ない closed or sensing if the user is not far away enough

Bonus Production Terms

Mura

Mura is a Japanese word meaning “unevenness”, “discrepancy”, or “irregularity”. It is a key concept in lean manufacturing and can be thought of as waste caused by an imbalance in the flow of work.

ムリ

Muri is a Japanese word that means “overburden” or “excess.” In the context of lean manufacturing, muri refers to any unreasonable burden placed on workers, which can lead to inefficient work practices and errors. Muri can also refer to any process or activity that is excessively demanding or difficult, which can lead to frustration and poor quality and must therefore be reduced in a Lean and Quality context.

しつけ

Among Lean Terms, Shitsuke is a lean manufacturing principle that focuses on maintaining discipline and standards within a workplace. It is often referred to as the fifth of the “5S” (for the Japanese words seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke, which all start with the letter S).

The goal of shitsuke is to instill a sense of ownership and pride in workers and to maintain high standards of quality control, permitting quality and efficiency over the long term.

ヘイジュンカ

Heijunka is a manufacturing concept in lean that refers to the equal distribution of production throughout the entire manufacturing process. Heijunka seeks to create a level Production Schedule that can be easily followed and executed by the shop floor. Furthermore, leveling the cycle time of each manufacturing step will reduce bottlenecks and over-capacity, both in return helping to a one-piece flow process and lowering the Work In Progress (WIP). This production schedule should be based on actual customer demand (refer to タクトタイム), not on forecasts or predictions.

By following Heijunka, the manufacturing process becomes much more efficient and responsive to customer needs.

アンドン

Andon literally means “paper lantern.” In a lean manufacturing environment, Andon refers to a system used to notify workers of a problem so that it can be quickly corrected, typically for low-hanging fruit improvements.

Read More Japanese

These five Japanese manufacturing lean terms are essential for improving your own manufacturing process. By utilizing not only these words but the concepts, you will create a more efficient and effective operation.

One could consider reading more posts on Lean or Lean Sigma concepts in production, processes, or factory organizations,

or learn more Japanese language basics, or Japanese culture, or start reading mangas!

補足資料と方法

• 5S （整理整頓、整列、清掃、標準化、維持）： ビジュアルマネジメント、職場組織、標準作業手順書（SOP）
• ジャストインタイム （ジャストインタイム）生産： Kanban System, pull production, supplier integration
• 総合生産保全（TPM）： 自律保全、予防保全、OEE（総合設備効率）
• バリューストリームマッピング（VSM）： プロセス・マッピング、無駄の特定、リーン指標
• 政策管理（政策展開）： strategic planning, catchball communication, X-Matrix
• Takt time: サイクルタイム分析、キャパシティプランニング、ワークロードのバランス調整

よくある質問

用語集

Gemba Walk: リーダーが実際に業務が行われている現場を訪れ、プロセスを観察し、従業員と交流し、改善の機会を特定することで、継続的な改善と問題解決の文化を醸成する経営手法。

Just In Time (JIT): 製造工程で必要な時に必要な分だけ商品を受け取ることで在庫コストを削減し、無駄を最小限に抑え、効率性を向上させることを目的とした生産戦略。

Just-In-Time (JIT): 製造工程において必要な時に材料や部品が正確に届くようにスケジュールを組むことで在庫コストを削減し、無駄を最小限に抑え、効率性を向上させる生産戦略。

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): 製造プロセスの効率性を評価するために用いられる指標で、稼働率、性能率、品質率を掛け合わせて算出される。これにより損失を特定し、生産性と業務効率の向上に繋げることができる。

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP): a set of step-by-step instructions created to help workers carry out routine operations consistently and efficiently, ensuring compliance with regulations and quality standards.

Takt Time: 顧客の需要を満たすために製品を生産するのに許容される最大時間。これは、利用可能な生産時間を必要な生産量で割ることによって算出されます。生産ペースを需要に合わせ、効率的なワークフローとリソース配分を確保するのに役立ちます。

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): 生産性の最大化、ダウンタイムの削減、継続的な改善とチームワークによる設備総合効率の向上を目指し、全従業員を巻き込み、積極的かつ予防的な対策を重視した、設備メンテナンスに対する包括的なアプローチ。

Toyota Production System (TPS): 廃棄物の削減、継続的な改善、効率的な生産フローを重視し、ジャストインタイムや自働化などの技術を活用して品質と業務効率を向上させる製造方法論。

Value Stream Mapping (VSM): プロセスにおける材料と情報の流れを分析・最適化し、付加価値のある活動と付加価値のない活動を特定することで、効率性を向上させ、無駄を削減するために使用される視覚的なツール。

Work in Progress (WIP): 原材料、労働力、および一定の段階までに発生した間接費など、生産工程において部分的に完成した品目。これらの資産はまだ完成品ではなく、生産効率の追跡や在庫管理に不可欠です。