VSMgt Service and Repair Center Simulation
[Please Note: The VSMgt files are now included as part of the Grand Package]
Value Stream Management (VSMgt) concepts are explored with this unique and fun alternative simulation designed to be used with your LeanMan Car Factory Kit.
The Service and Repair Center simulation is a unique twist on the standard Car Factory simulation exercise. In this learning experiment, pre-assembled cars are returned to the factory for service and repair. The value stream management decisions relate to the door-to-door processes that occur in a service department, with some returns simply requiring a review, some a rebuild, and some require ordering and waiting for replacement parts.
The concept is to transform the service and repair department into a smooth lean door-to-door flow utilizing lean principles, while maintaining the turn times and quality demands of the customer. The delays of each unique situation, plus the associated paperwork and overhead work approval and cost structures are part of this simulation.
This 3-step simulation exercise requires a room sufficient to hold four tables and 9 participants, including two transportation positions. Several observers are recommended to aid the facilitator in the discussions between the simulation steps. The number of participants can easily be adjusted by changing the transportation needs or adding product features to the cars such as head or tail lamps.
This is a GREEN item, all of the simulation materials are available on the USB for you to print, and include participant placemats with instructions for each position, paperwork consisting of job orders, customer approval forms, material requisition forms. The metrics tracking forms focus on turn-around-times (TAT) for both standard and urgent customer returns.
This simulation exercise is a separate purchase from the car factory kits, and does require at least one LeanMan Car Factory Simulation Kit to perform the event. Use it with the Basic Kit, Companion Kit, the Grand, or any of the Deluxe or Deluxe-Plus Packages.
NOTE: Save ship cost by making this a download only by placing your order and selecting “use customer ship” and entering a dummy ship method, then pay by credit card and on the receipt will be the download instructions. In the comment section say “Download only.”
Value Stream Management - an alternative for administration and service organizations.
Value Stream Management is the process of measuring, understanding, and improving the information flow. VSMgmt maps the interactions required of all associated functional departments or tasks that are part of the flow necessary to keep Cost, Service and Quality for a company's products and services as competitive as possible.
While Value Steam Mapping (VSM) is normally associated with the flow of material in a manufacturing company, many of the tools and techniques can be applied, with just a little twist, to document the information flow necessary to perform office administration or service industry processes. Office Value Stream (OVS) is the term some practitioners have coined for the series of activities or processes performed while supporting the daily operation needs of the company.
So can the LeanMan Car Factory Simulation Kits support VSMgmt training?
YES - with a twist.
The LeanMan Car Factory simulation normally sets up a manufacturing flow to produce toy cars, and includes the supporting functions of supplier, warehouse or stockroom, order entry, quality and shipping. VSMgmt can be simulated by amplifying the order entry, material requisition, quality and shipping functions.
Example: The LeanMan Customer Service and Repair Center simulation.
In this simulation exercise, we will simulate the service side of the car factory, so we do not build new cars, we repair them. Set up the event by building the cars ahead of the event, but add some problems. Mismatched wheel color; extra or missing brakes; extra or missing head or tail lights; non-rotating wheels, etc. The person acting as the customer will return cars at random for evaluation and repair.
The customer administrator must receive the order; determine warranty or at cost; and create the work order. Sometimes the customer wants to approve the work after evaluation and before repair is initiated. The service technician receives the order and evaluates the work; performs repairs that can be made immediately or requisitions needed parts; stores the item waiting parts; and eventually performs the repair and completes the order with time and materials used. The quality technician inspects the repairs. The stockroom obtains the materials and delivers the parts to the repair person. To add reality, place a unique amount of time on each type of part that the delivery person must wait before delivering the part.
As the simulation runs, all steps must complete the appropriate information paperwork to create orders, requisition parts, perform repairs, inspection acceptance, review repair labor and material and create an invoice. etc. The challenge will be to create a lean information flow, very visual, accessible by all who need to know it, and prioritized appropriately.
The returned car will require evaluation and immediate repair, or else material will be ordered and repair will occur later. The material items each have a unique delay time assigned for ordering, so depending on the type of repair there will be either one or two times to be touched. Each type should be categorized and used in the estimate of completion and capacity calculations. The repair technician works on the orders in sequence as they arrive, or repairs a waiting car when material is delivered. This sequencing is another point to observe between non-lean and lead flow. Each of these times require some bit of available capacity, which must be scheduled into the next available time slot (see Heijunka scheduling for additional ideas on capacity management) and the customer administrator advised of the estimated completion time so the customer can be advised. On-time metrics will measure actual to estimated completion.
The USB provides paperwork forms for the participants to fill out for each type of information in the flow. In the non-lean simulation, these forms typically travel by a mail-room person picking them up and dropping them off as he/she makes a circular round of the team. In the lean flow, everything should be as visual as practical and not dependent upon human transmission.
Note: The Heijunka scheduling techniques work well in accepting the random input of orders and creating a level workload with predictable completion times. The key in service is capacity management and meeting promise dates for return to the customer.