Foundational Concepts & Principles Flashcards

The concept of 'jidoka' in Lean production is best described as:

Answer: Autonomation — the ability of machines to detect abnormalities and stop automatically

Jidoka (autonomation) allows machines or workers to stop a process when a defect is detected, preventing defects from passing downstream.

Which of the following is NOT one of the original eight wastes identified in Lean management?

Answer: Excessive automation

The eight wastes are DOWNTIME (Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Extra-processing) — excessive automation is not one of them.

What is the relationship between takt time and customer demand in Lean?

Answer: Takt time is the available production time divided by customer demand rate

Takt time synchronizes production pace with the rate of customer demand by dividing available time by units demanded.

Which Lean tool is specifically designed to reduce unplanned downtime and improve equipment reliability?

Answer: Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

TPM engages all employees in proactive and preventive maintenance to maximize equipment effectiveness.

A company implements heijunka. What operational change does this most likely reflect?

Answer: Leveling the mix and volume of production over a fixed time period

Heijunka (production leveling) smooths out peaks and valleys in demand by mixing product types and volumes evenly.

In the Toyota Production System, 'andon' refers to:

Answer: A visual alert system that signals abnormal conditions on the production floor

Andon is a visual management tool — typically a light or board — that alerts team leaders to problems so they can respond immediately.

Which statement best captures the Lean view of inventory?

Answer: Inventory is a waste that hides process problems and ties up capital

Lean treats inventory as waste (muda) because it consumes space and capital while concealing underlying process inefficiencies.