M4E #33: Batch vs One-Piece Flow
We usually tend to think that manufacturing several things at the same time and delivering them together is faster and better that doing small tasks that deliver small features to our customer. But, is this true? The next video from The Lean Workshop shows you how the application of one-piece flow achieves better results than batch processing.
Time for Insights
One-piece flow is closely related to JIT (just-in-time), meaning that goods arrive to each step in the process exactly when they are needed so inventory wastes are eliminated. See in the video how in batch production pieces are accumulated in stations while others are being produced.
Sometimes a flow can’t be established in a process but try at least to work piece by piece or in small batches.
In this blog post you can see 10 reasons why one-piece flow may not work well. As always, apply kaizen in order to solve these problems and ask your people how they would do it, remember they are the ones with the most information!