backflows

By placing product designs in single-piece flow with a dedicated, multiskilled, co-located team and no interruptions, Wiremold has eliminated backflows and rework in the development process while also reducing manufacturing costs and dramatically spurring sales with products which accurately address customer needs.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

After targeting the root cause of the in-flight shutdowns, Ito turned his attention to the general problem of backflows in the Pratt production system.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

First, smooth the flow of products through the system, with no backflows for reworking quality problems, no scrap, and no in-process inventories.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

Quality should develop a standard set of methods which the product teams can apply to ensure that every product is right every time with no backflows and no “escapes” of bad products to the customer.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

The use of QFD eliminates expensive backflows and rework as projects near launch.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

The key was to place the engines on an imperceptibly moving track and to eliminate all backflows and rework caused by upstream quality and delivery problems.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

This meant no stopping due to the bureaucratic needs of our organization, no backflows to correct mistakes, and no hitches during production ramp-up.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

The third step is to rethink specific work practices and tools to eliminate backflows, scrap, and stoppages of all sorts so that the design, order, and production of the specific product can proceed continuously.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

The mass-production, batch-and-queue, “tinker till we get it right” philosophy built up over nearly 140 years was gone and the company was completely converted to a flow organization stressing first-time quality with no backflows.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

Batches, queues, backflows, and waste—muda of all sorts—would be banished.

Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003