An Important Aspect Of Lean Manufacturing Is Quality Control

One important factor of lean manufacturing and enhancing efficiency in any manufacturing application is the capability to have top quality control.  There really needs to be a system set up that enables parts being brought in from manufacturers and suppliers to be checked out before the parts can be allowed onto the production line.
 
Now once it has made it to the production line, it should not have to be inspected for quality, but it is vital that you let the workers on the line understand what to watch out for.  There needs to be some basic idea of what the part should look like and what it does.  If it's a fastener or another part which is used to build another part, the employees on the line ought to understand how to read markings on the parts to be aware what it is and if it is right. 

There can’t be a complete reliance on the quality department; individuals using the parts should have some understanding of what they are using and what it should be.  This can come in the form of specific training for how to identify parts and what kinds of imperfections to look out for.  It could also be a visual representation on the parts racks that remind them of what they should be on the lookout for.

 Meanwhile, the quality control department should be saving and testing samples of everything that comes into the plant.  There must be an idea of what's standard and what they need to be on the lookout for.  Also, a large saver of time and money is to have the designers, whether they are engineers or not, to design whatever they can to be as standard as possible.  If they are able to draw into the description a common faster such as a washer or a bolt rather than having to utilize something that's just a little special, there can be a lot of savings in the cost and availability of the part.
 
If a standard part can be utilized, then there's no requirement to store and purchase numerous extra parts for concern about running out before more can be produced.  If you depend on special parts, you need to be able to forecast the usages and know when more should be purchased.  Some parts may take weeks or months to reach you, especially if they are being directly or indirectly brought in from Asia.