Lean Configuration Management
Recording, managing positions of components to the whole system in design, development, production, support of a product throughout its life cycle.
Joe Beckett is a director of client development for lean consulting firm Lean Advisors Inc.
(As Published in Plant Magazine)
Main
Configuration management (CM) is a way of recording and managing the relative positions of the components to the whole system in the design, development, production and support of a product throughout its life cycle. Products change in their cycle from cradle to grave. Configuration Management tracks and reports on these changes in the definition of the product and its specific components as that product configuration evolves.
First developed by the military during the space race, it was a specialized discipline and not many companies could afford to dedicate an entire discipline to the recording of configuration changes. Today we must integrate Configuration Management with all of our procedures and processes from product design through engineering, production and customer support, making it a fundamental tool in the Lean Enterprise.
What is Lean Configuration Management?
It 's a defined set of integrated processes aimed at maintaining product definition from concept through its full life cycle, as required by the customer. Lean Configuration Management facilitates the seamless flow of change to the product and its definition by creating and maintaining a dynamic product baseline that everyone can access.
The Customer
Unfortunately the current state of Configuration Management is not as good as it could be. Some companies have implemented automated solutions and found out too late they added an extra layer of administration to their Config. Management system. In fact, they added waste. Configuration managers focus on configuration identification, change control, configuration audits and status accounting.
But does the customer really want to pay for all this paperwork, and weekly or even daily meetings about: revision levels, part changes, document changes, release dates, effective dates, bill of material changes and roll-ups, never ending impact assessments, the temporary change notices, forms that initiate a change or release a document or change a document, deviation forms, waiver forms, impact assessment forms and approval forms?
Each of these activities is creating real waste in the form of waiting, inventory, unnecessary processing, unnecessary movement and so on. How much of your Config. Management time and activity specifically adds value to the control of your product as it goes through its life cycle? An educated guess by someone who 's been there would be 10%.
The answer isn't to identify Config. Management itself as pure waste and eliminate it. A product 's life cycle must be managed and properly controlled. Efficient Config. Management ensures your customer gets a clearly defined product that can be thoroughly supported throughout its life cycle, with no surprises.
Types of Waste
Overproduction
Supplying the next process with more, sooner and faster than needed.
Inventory
Supplies, work-in-process, reports, messages etc.
Waiting
Waiting for meetings, instructions, information, approvals or decisions.
Transportation
Double, triple handling, hand offs, ill-planned layouts, long distances, poor housekeeping.
Motion
Walking without working; searching for items, materials or information; excess motion.
Processing
Extra steps, waiting for perfection, over-specification of the process.
Defects
Errors, incorrect schedules, engineering documents, information.
Reprioritization
Ever changing demands; stopping and starting.
People's Skills
Config. Mgmt specialists seen as bureaucratic necessities rather than process experts.
Identify Waste
Once the waste is removed, Lean Configuration Management will allow changes to flow seamlessly into production at the right time and at the right place while maintaining an accurate product baseline. Flow and pull will replace push in the change control process. Documents and data will be modified only when required and parts will be procured only when needed. And say good-bye to the Configuration Management silo as the various Configuration Management processes are integrated with other processes.
How do we get to Lean Configuration Management? Identify the waste. To begin, you must map the configuration process value stream. This first step is your current state Value Stream Map (VSM) and your change control process. Walk through each step to see for yourself what really takes place. There are always hidden activities and they 're not always short cuts. The current state Value Stream Map will show you where your Configuration Management inventories are accumulating -a key indicator is the number of documents waiting for processing.
Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
Value Stream Mapping disciplines you to make specific measurements such as cycle and processing times, which helps identify how long it really takes for a change to work its way through your system, how much of that time is waste and how much is truly adding value.
Once you have your current state map, begin a future state map -a powerful tool that provides direction and inspiration to your Lean Config. Management team. The next step is to complete an implementation plan that shows you the way to the future state. It outlines which lean tools are to be applied, where, when and by whom. Some of the popular tools in use include Kanban, Kaizen, SMED and Poka Yoke.
But Lean is more than a set of tools.It 's a way of looking at your system as a whole, eliminating the waste, improving process flow and pull, and engaging your team to pursue the Lean Enterprise. To use these tools effectively, change the way you see the system. This will lead you to the desired future state. Implementing Lean Configuration Management the right way with the right tools gets you there.