How does Training within Industry fit with Lean?
One of the questions we get frequently asked by new clients is “How does Training within Industry fit with Lean?”. It’s a great question we thought it’s worth blogging about. In fact, Training within Industry has been described as the “missing link in Lean”.
But before we get into that, let’s start our with a few words about Lean. Lean manufacturing has its roots in the practices of the Toyota production system (TPS) and its relentless drive for lead-time compression and quality improvement. In fact, TPS is frequently depicted as a temple or house with a roof of excellent operating performance sustained by the two pillars of Jidohka (autonomation for quality) and Just in Time (lead time compression and inventory reduction). These two pillars, in turn, are sustained by solid foundations of stability, engagement and continuous improvement.
Many companies implementing Lean focus on the two pillars, applying the advanced tools of Lean without a solid foundation. Yet without leadership practices that create basic stability in people and processes these tools cannot fulfil their potential. It is a well known saying in the Lean community that ‘without stability there can be no improvement’.
This is where Training within Industry comes into play. It’s three core programs TWI Job Instruction (TWI JI), TWI Job Relations (TWI JR) and TWI Job Method (TWI JM) were designed to create stability and propagate the capability for rapid continuous improvement in supervisors and their teams.
TWI Job Instruction replicates and standardises job skills across workers and creates basic stability in quality, service and productivity
TWI Job Relations is respect for people in action. It builds strong bonds of trust, collaboration and engagement.
TWI Job Methods enables workers to improve their own processes and with this provides a shared language to drive continuous improvement.
Successful companies deploying Lean take care of the foundations of the house. The Training within Industry programs TWI JI, TWI JR and TWI JM are the best way of getting these foundations in place and create stability that allow advanced Lean practices to thrive.