There’s a saying in manufacturing folklore – no matter what happens, it’s always “production’s fault”: didn’t produce enough, delayed delivery, can’t make it right, made too many defects, didn’t maintain the equipment, did it wrong, planned it wrong… Sound familiar? I’m sure every production person knows this 😊
But in reality, most of these “accusations” don’t come from facts – they come from assumptions, perceptions, and emotions. When we start evaluating situations based on real data, it often turns out that the root causes lie not in production, but in other departments.
As a manager, I once attended a training session titled something like: “Quality Management: Reducing Defects.” Naturally, we – the production team – went there thinking: “Here we go again, they’ll lecture us on how to manage things properly. As if we don’t know.” Meanwhile, our colleagues from the quality department went in with a different mindset: “Finally, someone will explain to production how to make quality parts and do things right.”
But from the very first words of the trainer, it became clear that the topic was not what we expected (some were hoping, others were dreading). The training wasn’t about products or quality parts at all. It was about the quality of work processes – and not even in production, but in the so-called “supporting” departments: supply chain, logistics, maintenance, planning, engineering, and others.
That was a turning point. We realized that:
- Unprepared or poorly prepared technological documentation is a defect.
- Missed, delayed, or poorly executed equipment maintenance – that’s a defect.
- Inaccurate, unclear, or late information provided to production – that’s a defect.
- Incorrect stock levels, poor-quality raw materials, or late deliveries – that’s a defect.
All of these are not the responsibility of the production department, yet they directly impact production results. And if the production output doesn’t meet expectations, it often means that something went wrong elsewhere in the process..
Lean2S Monitoring System – Data-driven evaluation
The Lean2S equipment monitoring system enables not only real-time observation of the production process (a tool for production), but also objective evaluation of how actions from other departments influence production results. This is the practical implementation of the “2S – Simple & Smart” principle.
Lean2S MS helps collect data on how long and how often machines are idle due to:
- Misiing raw materials
- Missing or incorrect production tasks and documentation
- Equipment failures
- All other factors that occur in the production process.
Additionally, operators can directly inform responsible personnel about factors disrupting their work – whether urgent or recurring and unresolved over time. Technicians can also create maintenance reminders that respond to equipment load.
This data allows not only for analyzing production efficiency but also for identifying exactly where and when problems occur – down to the minute.
For example, if a machine is idle due to delayed technical documentation (the operator is waiting, searching, asking for information because they can’t proceed without it) – this is a clearly identifiable situation with measurable consequences (lost machine time).
But as a rule, before this situation, there have already been more than one case of so-called "Near-miss" (almost happened), which "hide" behind the quick reaction and the ability of manufacturers to flexibly solve the situation (manufacture "from experience", without documentation, or re-plan production and change the product). And here the situation is often described only in words, without numbers, without emphasizing the case, because "everything is under control". What data does the technology department have about such a situation? Everything is fine! Hence the conclusion (unfortunately wrong) - the applied work method and process work, and so on.
But when we start recording these cases, tracking their frequency, recurrence, and the products involved – we get a clear, measurable signal for the engineering team: this is the “defect” in their process, this is what needs to be corrected, and here’s the impact of those changes.
If machines are idle due to material shortages – that’s a supply chain or warehouse process issue (which can be analyzed similarly). Again, production often finds a workaround (e.g., “I’ll go get it myself to save time”), but this unintentionally masks the defect in another process.
The Lean2S production monitoring system becomes an indispensable tool for effective management of production processes, allowing you to see the influence of not only production, but also other departments on the results.
A Value Proposition for the Entire Company
The Lean2S monitoring system becomes not just a production tool, but a mirror reflecting the quality of the entire company’s operations. It helps to:
- Abandon accusations and move on to the facts, and address the essential situations
- Encourage collaboration between departments
- Reveal weak points in value chain
- Enable data-driven decision-making instead of relying on assumptions
This is the essence of the Lean philosophy – continuous improvement based on data and a shared goal: creating value for the customer. It also aligns with the TOC (Theory of Constraints) principle – identifying and eliminating limiting factors.
If in your company it’s still “always production’s fault,” maybe it’s time to implement the Lean2S monitoring system and start measuring not just production, but the contribution of all departments to the final result. Because only what we measure – we can manage. And only what we manage – we can improve.
Modern production engineering and management are unimaginable without data-driven solutions - this is exactly what the Lean2S system offers.