Lean is an all-encompassing philosophy that takes the 5 M's (Man, Material, Machines, Methods, and Money) and harmonizes or helps orchestrate them together for the best possible outcome in your manufacturing operations. If you do not know the 5 M's, here's a brief overview of how the 5 M's relate to lean automation. Stabilize the process - the 4M's (man, machine, material, and method) must be stable enough to support standardization of work methods. Machine downtime, labor shortages, training gaps, quality issues, variation of methods, etc. must be made stable. Standardize the process - once stability is accomplished the best known and demonstrated The variables that a production system manipulates to produce value for customers. The first three are resources, the fourth is the way the resources are used. In a lean system, the Four Ms mean: Material—no defects or shortages. Machine—no breakdowns, defects, or unplanned stoppages. Man—good work habits, necessary skills, punctuality, and no unscheduled absenteeism. Method The 4M's of operation in relation to business opportunity means that the four critical domains, usually attributed to manufacturing are: man, machine, material and method should work together. These four critical domains are also applicable to business opportunities since business in essence is tied to manufacturing as well. Method: The process steps you need to produce an output or deliver a service. Machinery: Machines and tools that you need to produce an output or deliver a service. Material: The raw materials, consumables, or assemblies that you need to produce the output or deliver the service. Manpower: The people in your process. Let's look at the 6 M's in more detail. Machines: Tools and equipment used to complete production tasks. Facility systems also fall into this category. Methods: Production and support processes. Materials: Raw materials, components, and supplies used for production.General materials used for business operations (i.e. cleaning supplies, 5S supplies, etc.) also fall into this category. AilBG0C.

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