Lean introduction via pilot and Toolbox to global factory network

Abstract

Metso One Factory Initiative management made a decision to implement lean into its processes in order to eliminate waste, reduce lead times and manage all value streams in a more efficient way. In this thesis the initial stages of a lean transformation including pilot projects and lean tools research in Metso One Factory were studied and documented. Lean tools were researched using many literary sources and their suitability for Metso’s purposes was evaluated. Suitable tools were collected into One Factory Lean Toolbox including a summary of the tool’s theory and for some tools a template ready to use in practice. Two product groups in need of improvement were selected as pilot projects by upper management and their purpose was to become proof of concept in the lean transformation. It was found that not all lean tools are suitable for a global One Factory Lean Toolbox because some may be too specific for One Factory’s purposes. With the help of a toolbox the selected lean tools are available for all One Factory staff in an easy-to-understand form. The lean pilot projects revealed many interesting problems and bottlenecks in the process. When these problems were discovered solutions could be drafted and a better flow to the process was achieved. They lead to many big improvements in the order-to-delivery process of the two selected product groups. The project team managed to shorten the lead times, cut the costs, and lower the inventory value. While this thesis was finalized the two factories still have ongoing improvement projects related to the pilots.