What are the best practices for applying Heijunka to different types of services?

Heijunka is a lean process that aims to level out the production or delivery of goods and services by reducing variations in demand, volume, and mix. By smoothing out the flow of work, Heijunka can help improve quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. But how can you apply Heijunka to different types of services, such as hospitality, health care, or education? Here are some best practices to consider.

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1 Understand your demand patterns

The first step to applying Heijunka is to analyze your demand patterns and identify the sources and causes of variation. For example, you may have seasonal, daily, or hourly fluctuations in demand, or different types of customers with different needs and preferences. You can use tools such as Pareto charts, control charts, or histograms to visualize and measure your demand variation.

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2 Establish your capacity and resources

The next step is to determine your capacity and resources to meet your demand. This includes your staff, equipment, facilities, materials, and suppliers. You need to know how much work you can do, how long it takes, and what resources you need. You can use tools such as value stream mapping, takt time, or standard work to define and optimize your capacity and resources.

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3 Design your Heijunka system

The third step is to design your Heijunka system, which is a way of organizing and scheduling your work to achieve a balanced and smooth flow. There are different types of Heijunka systems, such as fixed or flexible intervals, kanban or pull systems, or mixed-model or batch production. You need to choose the type of Heijunka system that suits your service characteristics, such as the degree of customization, complexity, or variability.

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4 Implement and monitor your Heijunka system

The final step is to implement and monitor your Heijunka system, which involves communicating and coordinating with your staff, customers, and suppliers. You need to train and empower your staff to follow the Heijunka system and make adjustments as needed. You also need to inform and involve your customers and suppliers in the Heijunka system and align their expectations and feedback. You can use tools such as visual boards, checklists, or audits to monitor and improve your Heijunka system.

Heijunka is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a flexible and adaptable process that can help you deliver better services. By applying these best practices, you can achieve the benefits of Heijunka, such as lower costs, higher quality, and happier customers.

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Mike Strohschein

Business Advisor
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In my experience heijunka un-monitored becomes a list that is not effective as it becomes the standard to be inaccurate and inflexible making production chase daily to the eventual spiral of always trying to catch up degrading employee moral.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the best practices for applying Heijunka to different types of services?

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1 Understand your demand patterns

2 Establish your capacity and resources

3 Design your Heijunka system

4 Implement and monitor your Heijunka system

5 Here’s what else to consider

Lean Processes

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