How our clients are benefiting through Hidrive lean processes.
We deliver value to our clients by eliminating waste, building in value and continuously improving.
Hidrive Lean Management Processes. In today’s market, demands are rapidly changing. Clients are requesting more tailored business solutions and higher levels of quality with shorter lead times. Lean manufacturing refers to the idea of reducing waste within a business. It reduces processes, lead times and creates more efficient use of factory spaces and production lines.
Principles of Lean can be traced back to the works of iconic people including Fredrick Taylor and Henry Ford and their applications of efficiency, continuous improvement and standardised products. In the 1940s, Toyota applied their enhanced view of efficiency to their production processes. They resolved to reduce processes that didn’t bring immediate value to the end product, as a result, improvements were made and the conception of Lean manufacturing or Lean thinking began.
Since then, it has evolved and has been adopted across the world as a successful and universal management tool. At Hidrive, our products are 100% Australian made, which means that we have control over all facets of design, engineering, manufacturing, installation and service. As a growing business, we have seen the urgency to apply it to our expanding processes, ensuring that we are delivering 100% value to clients with efficiency.
Principle 1: Eliminating Waste
Eliminating waste refers to reducing anything that does not add value to the customer as a result reducing lead times, increasing revenue and client satisfaction.
To identify the value and waste associated with a company’s processes, the entire workflow is mapped in a process known as Value Stream Mapping. Any step of the process that doesn’t actively provide value to the final product is eliminated.
For Hidrive, Value Stream Mapping enabled us to create and refine processes that need less personnel effort, less working space and less time to make our service bodies and deliver a higher level of quality. This enables a clear distinction between each factory and department, activating production lines with efficient use of space. Hidrive’s processes have become more agile and flexible in response to changing customer demands and market trends.
Principle 2: Build Quality In
By applying Lean thinking, Hidrive employees are ultimately focused on delivering quality and value for the end product, making them more productive and efficient. Hidrive has increased the quality control process as a part of the production line and at the end of various ‘Stopgates.’
Principle 3: Creating Knowledge
Lean manufacturing helps focus on developing and documenting error proof processes. It involves documenting procedures and retaining valuable knowledge, which is achieved by creating work instructions on the production line for each employee and process. The Hidrive team are empowered and trained in the principles of Lean management and encouraged to look for ways to improve. New employees are onboarded with an in-depth understanding of the Hidrive workflow, they are aware of the value of their work and how it contributes to the final product, resulting in satisfied customers.
Principle 4: Respect for People
The growing popularity of the Lean concept is often accredited to the fact that the principles involve every element of the workflow, all areas of the workforce and management teams. It encourages shared responsibility and shared leadership, with a culture of respect for people and nurturing continuous improvement.
With lean production processes in place, Team Leaders have the ability to ensure that all team players and processes are aligned with the overarching strategy of the business. Employees are more productive, happier and more satisfied with their job, they can see that it has a direct impact on production. As a result, the team is more flexible and responds better to changing consumer demands.
Principle 5: Continuous Improvement
Hidrive Lean Management Processes has defined the customer value and our focus is to continuously improve by creating long-term perspective and perseverance. The goal is to provide exceptional value to the customer that has 0% negative waste. To achieve recurrent improvement, the entire team has adapted the Lean Thinking concept, ensuring that the business and management focus changes from separate processes and departments, to optimise the entire workplace flow.
Hidrive has adopted a consistent mindset on improvement. We will continue to strengthen our business, processes and people – we are excited to see what our future holds!
Summary
As a result of our lean practices, we have reduced the emitted waste levels throughout the business – allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint at all Hidrive locations. Having Lean management principles and adopting the ‘lean thinking’ concept has enabled us to have a more productive system with a high chance of improving overall performance with an efficient and effective product that is 100% Australian made!
