Workload balance in Lean is defined as the process or way of achieving work load spreading or distribution evenly to eliminate bottlenecks, minimize waste, and have a smooth workflow. It aligns workload with a specific phase of customer demand to achieve the principles of Lean, such as efficient and consistent delivery of value.
What is the purpose of Workload Balance?
Eliminates Waste:
Balancing workloads reduces the most common forms of waste: waiting time, overproduction, and unnecessary motion.
It avoids overloading and underutilization of resources.
Improves Flow:
Work flowing through processes is improved by balancing workloads, avoiding bottlenecks, or idle time in the system.
This leads to continuous and predictable operations.
Increases Efficiency:
Resources are utilized more effectively. This leads to increased productivity and reduced cycle times.
Minimizes overburdening of employees or machines, commonly known as "Muri" in Lean.
Meets Customer Demand:
Companies meet customer demand by balancing the workload according to Takt Time, which is the rate at which a product must be completed to meet customer demand. This has the result of giving customers consistent and on-time outcome.
Reduces Stress and Errors:
Preventing overloading of employees reduces stress and the chances of error, thereby creating output of high quality.
It promotes teamworking by fairly sharing the workload among people to ensure that every one feels that it is done equitably. Workload balancing also reveals mistakes or areas that can be improved in the process thereby enhancing the seamless implementation of the Lean principles like Kaizen.
Reference: Some of the text in this article has been generated using AI tools such as ChatGPT and edited for content and accuracy.