ABSTRACT
When the participants returned, Daniel showed them a new method of folding T-shirts, and asked each group to prepare corresponding training and to come up with a Job Breakdown Sheet. The method, he explained, could be seen on the internet on several YouTube videos. This would help reduce the folding time drastically, to 2 or 3 s. Though, he insisted, “As we saw yesterday* you do not need that folding method to reach a cycle time below the takt time, which was our primary process improvement objective. Yesterday we managed to reach 17 s, 3 s below the takt time of 20 s, without this method. More generally, once your time to fold, inspect, and store is below 10 s of the press machine time, if you are using two T-shirts,† the folding is no more on the critical path of the cycle time (Figure 6.1). Based on the Standardized Work Combination Table of the improved process we discussed yesterday (Figure 6.1), whatever your folding time, the cycle time will not go below 14 s unless you improve major steps 1 and 2. Some might wonder why I am lingering so much on this point. Well this is an opportunity for me to caution you against the ‘improvement-forimprovement’s-sake’ reflex that I see so often in plants. Now let us focus on the tasks to be done.” Daniel then distributed a blank Job Breakdown Sheet. He gave an additional explanation on each column of the document. “The first column is for major steps what we learnt for the Operator Work Instruction applies here as well. It should be expressed as a verb and an
object, not more. Keep it simple. The second column includes key points. The previous explanation applies as well. Remember we are talking about anything that can (1) make or break the job, (2) injure the worker, or (3) make the work easier. In the thin adjacent column there is room for symbols, please refer to the bottom of the document to pick the one that corresponds to the key point: safety, quality, making the job easier, or critical quantity check. The next column is about the ‘reasons.’ Please describe your reasons in a very simple way as well. Use short sentences, ideally a verb plus objects. The last column, as you know by now, is reserved for illustration. This could be hand sketches, diagrams, parts, layouts, or digital picture if available. That’s all from my side…. Is everything clear to you? If so, let’s get started.” Daniel handed out to each group a memory stick including a video of the new folding method that they would be able to play as often as necessary to capture the new method and build their Job Breakdown Sheet. Daniel got several questions while walking around.
