Lean Manufacturing in Latin America: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications

This book reports theoretical and practical aspects related to the application of lean manufacturing tools in companies established in Latin America. The book is divided into sections according to the tools discussed therein, basic LM tools (Visual management, Andon, 5S and Standardized work), LM tools applied to production planning (Demand management, Heijunka, Takt time, Hoshin Kanri, Value stream map), LM tools applied to quality (Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle (PDCA), Total quality management (TQM), Kaizen, Gemba, Root cause analysis, Getting it right the first time, A3 problem solving, 5 whys), LM tools applied to material flow (One-piece flow, Kanban, Just in time, Bottleneck analysis), LM tools applied to machinery (Jidoka, Poka-yoke, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED)), LM tools applied to production Organization (Cellular manufacturing, Six big losses, Intelligent goals, Key performance indicators (KPI), Lean audits, Decentralization, Vertical information systems), LM applied to human factors (Multifunctional teamwork, Empowerment, Integration of functions, Leadership, Motivation, Labor safety) and LM benefits (Economic, Social and Environmental). We report each tool’s concepts, crucial research, and applications. Also, each approach underlines the authors that stand out in that topic, the implementation methodology in the production systems, the benefits they offer, and finally, a case study.