Heijunka

Heijunka, a Japanese term, translates to “leveling” and in the context of Lean manufacturing, it refers to the practice of leveling production to create a smooth and predictable workflow. This means distributing production tasks and output evenly over time, rather than in batches or with significant variations.
Key aspects of Heijunka:
Leveling Production:
Heijunka aims to smooth out production by averaging expected demand, which can prevent overburdening the shop floor and reduce waste.
Reducing Unevenness (Mura):
By leveling production, Heijunka minimizes mura, which is the unevenness in a process. This leads to more predictable and efficient workflows.
Improving Flow:
Heijunka helps to improve the overall flow of the production process, ensuring a smooth and continuous stream of work.
Matching Demand:
Heijunka helps to better align production with customer demand, reducing the risk of overproduction or stockouts.
Standardized Work:
Often, Heijunka is implemented in conjunction with standardized work, where tasks are broken down into smaller, more manageable steps that are performed consistently.
Reducing Waste (Muda):
By smoothing out the production process and reducing unevenness, Heijunka contributes to reducing waste in various forms, such as overproduction, waiting time, and defects.
Flexibility and Stability:
Heijunka, when implemented correctly, provides flexibility by decreasing changeover times and stability by averaging production volume and type over the long term.