1/21/2019 Tom Knuth from STILT.PRO will offer an engineer’s perspective at applying industrial factory metrics and terminology to visualize and improve your growing operation’s productivity and efficiency. Tom Knuth [email protected] (218) 343-2650 Thomson, GA www.stilt.pro @STILT.PRO

• Value Stream Mapping and Process Flow Tools

• Cause – Focused Brainstorming Tools

• Efficiency Improvement

• Monitoring / Metrics Value Stream Mapping and Process Flow Tools

Tools document a process in a consistent manner Provide observational and real information on current problems Helps simulate and evaluate new options What's it for? Process mapping is the way to create a flowchart of a process. It is the framework and foundation for more detailed tools. Preparation: • Detail - Not too much, not too little. • Too much will overwhelm and too little will not give you the desired results. • Scope of the process and identify boundaries • Is the map as-is or should-be? TIPS: Parking lot of ideas not directly related to the process mapping - improvement ideas, assumptions, questions, out of scope issues/ideas Step back and talk about how to measure key information Concentrate on the process, not the details, times or other non pertinent information

https://www.draw.io/ Steps Ideas for process mapping 1. Get the team together at nurseries: 2. Team brainstorms steps. Organize sticky notes on a board Complete growing process 3. Use symbols that are relevant to your business Potting 4. As a team, agree on and arrange steps in order. Customer Ordering 5. Keep the process flow moving in chronological order. Propagation Only go in reverse if there is a repetition of a step Pruning 6. Walk the process forward to understand the flow. Then backward pretending to be the customer of the process Chemical Spraying 7. After reaching an agreement on all the steps, number Watering and transfer to a spreadsheet. • What steps can be simplified? • What steps can be consolidated? • How can the process be evenly matched?

Some things to note: • Unbalanced primary flow • You should work to balance the process flow • Certain people have multiple jobs and may be missing when needed What's it for? • Used to visualize the physical movement and flow of a desired task. • Once visualized, you can better understand the true cost of a process. • From this you can identify waste, evaluate improvements and improve productivity. • Pick your approach As-Is Should-Be Page 42 – Lean Preparation: • Create a diagram of your workspace showing all key components and areas • Work from existing flowchart of the process, or brainstorm a list of steps • Decide on creating an as-is chart or a should-be chart.

TIPS: Remember, you can depict more than just people movement, you can visualize material or even information. Steps Ideas for process 1. Find or Create a workplace diagram mapping at nurseries: 2. Start with existing flowchart or brainstorm steps • Propagation 3. Mark where the first step of the process happens • Potting Line 4. Draw arrow to the next task location • Order Pulling 5. Map all steps • Spraying 6. Evaluate the diagram • Applying granular Look for crisscross lines, returning repeatedly to a material common location, long travel distances 7. Extra Steps – add time and information to better understand the value add versus nonvalue add time Factory Example Example of propagation workflow 1. Receive work task from manager 2. Get vehicle 3. Go to field 4. Take Cuttings 5. Go to propagation building 6. Store cuttings 7. Fill liner trays with media 8. Water Trays 9. Apply Rooting Hormone are Value Tasks Added Value are 10.Sticking

11.Watering Trays BLUE 12.Transfer to carts 13.Moving to field 14.Place in liner growing area 15.Return vehicle 16.Return to break area Identify waste areas. Steps and tasks should be evaluated based on function. Evaluate with respect to customer. Categories: Value Added – Essential to deliver plant to customer Pruning, fertilizing, spacing, upsizing containers, weeding, watering

Business Nonvalue Added – Required for business operation OHSA/EPA reporting, frost protection, equipment maintenance

Non-Value Added – No value from customers perspective. Transportation of product, movement around nursery, overproduction, excess pruning, waiting Page 50 – Lean Six Sigma Cause- Focused Brainstorming Tools

Tools to help you identify the root cause of a problem What's it for? • Basic technique to work down to root cause of a problem TIPS: • Don’t send baggage through the Five Whys. Discourage team and not likely to be successful. • Many times, the underlying issues on old problems have been around a long time and may be very difficult to fix. • Use on new problems. Often when a new problem is evaluated with 5 whys, old issues will surface organically. • Be tolerance of all mistakes the first time. • Never allow the same mistake to be made twice. WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Getting Started: Ask “Why” five times in a row to get to the root of the problem Good uses: • Inventory issues • Missing inputs • Miscommunication • Differing or missed expectations (sales and production) • Equipment / Machine Failures “We have a very sophisticated technique for developing new products. It is called five-why. We ask why five times.” – Yuichi Okamoto (former Toyota Technical Center VP) Level of Problem Corresponding Level of Countermeasure

WHY? The belt is broken Replace belt There was a tear in belt Monitor belt Integrity WHY? The belt was misaligned Adjust belt tracking Worn Belt on WHY? Conveyor The belt was not Create a belt adjustment properly adjusted procedure and WHY? acceptable range No one noticed or spoke Educate on proper up that the belt wasn’t operation WHY? aligned “Observe the production floor The crew did not receive Setup training program without preconceptions and with a proper training on what for new hires blank mind. Repeat “why” five times to look for to every matter” – Taiichi Ohno Page 230 – Lean Startup, Page 252 – The Toyota Way, Page 145 – Lean Six Sigma What's it for? Tool to arrange and organize many potential causes of a problem. Used to identify critical areas to investigate and not miss other areas that may be root cause Good tool for persistent and reoccurring issues TIPS: Use this tool to organize different causes of a problem and determine which areas you should test to find root cause. There may be more than one root cause. Fishbone diagrams provides structure to your evaluation.

Page 146 – Lean Six Sigma Steps Example Uses • Name the problem – Be Specific • Weed control issues • Decide major categories • Identifying cause of shrink • Brainstorm detailed causes and • Finding the root cause of a add “fishbones” complicated issue or something • Identify most likely causes that has many sources causing a problem. • Determine ways to quickly test causes and verify if they are true root cause Efficiency Improvement

Some simple tools to improve efficiency of your operation MISTAKE PREVENTION (Safety Decals)

What's it for? Poka-yoke is a tool to eliminate failures by designing them out of the process. Stop a mistake before they occur or prevent it from making it to the next step of production. TIPS: Corresponding resolution should be proportional to associated risk MISTAKE PROOFING (cannot be assembled wrong) Steps Example Uses • Identify defect and how it affects • Plant identification customer • Proper chemical applications • Identify process step that caused • Branded Plants the defect • Order Pulling • Investigate and analyze root cause • Potting Drill • Brainstorm ways to eliminate or detect • Implement mistake proofing device Mistake Prevention

20 Amp outlet Mistake

Electrical outlet in your house. Proofing

USB-A USB-C Mistake proofing & prevention (Poka-yoke)

Pesticide Re-Entry Sign is a MISTAKE PREVENTION example.

REDUCING re-entry periods is working towards MISTAKE PROOFING Drilling on potting line prevents plants from being placed off center. Allows for proper placement of plant every time. Mistake proofing & prevention (Poka-yoke) • Lowering the “Water Level” of inventory to expose problems. • You must deal with the problems or sink.

Inventory Levels

Wrong Missed Broken Product weeding Conveyor Wrong Mix Crop interval Chemical Wrong Freeze Mix Rate Out of Soil Water PH Page 88 – The Toyota Way Monitoring / Metrics Tools to monitor your progress Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) renamed to Overall Potting Effectiveness for nurseries.

Measures 3 factors:

Uptime Productivity Quality Total potting time Measure line Count of rejected vs time working. operating speed vs plants from Any stops, breaks, maximum capable inspection (each changeovers, out speed wagon to be of soil counts inspected for towards uptime. quality) Shift Duration 480 Mins DATA Pot Size 3 Gal Pot Size People Concatenate Output Operators 7 People 1 5 15 306 Average Output 208 Pots/Man*Hr 1 6 16 294 Machine output 1456 Pots/Machine*Hr 1 7 17 292 Maximum Shift Output 11648 Pots 1 8 18 295 1 9 19 300 UPTIME 2 6 26 245 break 30 Mins 2 7 27 207 out of soil 5 Mins 2 8 28 213 lunch 30 Mins 3 3 33 180 wagon movement 6 Mins 3 4 34 227 cleanup 10 Mins 3 5 35 220 TOTAL DOWNTIME 81 Mins Shift Duration 3 6 36 480 Mins 210 DATA Availability 83% Pot Size 3 7 37 3 Gal 208 Pot Size People Concatenate Output Operators 3 8 38 7 People 196 1 5 15 306 PRODUCTIVITY 3 9 39 190 Total Pots Completed 8714 Pots Average Output 4 6 46 208 Pots/Man*Hr133 1 6 16 294 Run Speed 1310 Pots/hour Machine output 4 7 47 1456 Pots/Machine*Hr129 1 7 17 292 Total Runtime 399 Mins TotalMaximum time minus Shift downtime Output 4 8 48 11648 Pots 136 1 8 18 295 Expected Output at max 9682 Pots total runtime * Max output rate 7 6 76 95 1 9 19 300 Performance 90% 7 7 77 77 Shift Duration 480 Mins UPTIME DATA 2 6 26 245 Pot Size 3 Gal Pot Size 7 People 8 78Concatenate Output71 QUALITYOperators 7 People break 1 5 15 30 Mins 306 2 7 27 207 RejectedAverage Output Plants 20835 PotsPots/Man*Hr out of soil 1 6 16 5 Mins 294 2 8 28 213 RejectMachine time output 0.0267091456 HoursPots/Machine*Hr Lost lunch 1 7 17 30 Mins 292 3 3 33 180 QualityMaximum Shift Output 11648100% Pots wagon movement 1 8 18 6 Mins 295 3 4 34 227 cleanup 1 9 19 10 Mins 300 3 5 35 220 UPTIMEOverall Potting Effectiveness 74.5% 2 6 26 245 break 30 Mins TOTAL DOWNTIME 2 7 27 81 Mins 207 3 6 36 210 out of soil 5 Mins Availability 2 8 28 83% 213 3 7 37 208 lunch 30 Mins 3 3 33 180 3 8 38 196 wagon movement 6 Mins PRODUCTIVITY 3 4 34 227 3 9 39 190 cleanup 10 Mins 3 5 35 220 TOTALThings DOWNTIME to Note: 81 Mins Total Pots Completed 3 6 36 8714 Pots 210 4 6 46 133 Availability• Separates effectiveness into83% 3 buckets Run Speed 3 7 37 1310 Pots/hour208 4 7 47 129 • Allows you to quickly see problems Total Runtime 3 8 38 399 Mins 196 Total time minus downtime 4 8 48 136 PRODUCTIVITY Expected Output at max 3 9 39 9682 Pots 190 total runtime * Max output rate 7 6 76 95 Total• PotsSpecific Completed to your operation, cannot8714 Pots be 4 6 46 133 Performance 90% 7 7 77 77 Run Speedcompared to other nurseries1310 Pots/hour 4 7 47 129 Total Runtime 399 Mins Total time minus downtime 4 8 48 136 7 8 78 71 Expected Output at max 9682 Pots totalQUALITY runtime * Max output rate 7 6 76 95 Performance 90% Rejected Plants 7 7 77 35 Pots 77 7 8 78 71 QUALITY Reject time 0.026709 Hours Lost Rejected Plants 35 Pots Quality 100% Reject time 0.026709 Hours Lost Quality 100% Overall Potting Effectiveness 74.5% Overall Potting Effectiveness 74.5% ~1 Hour Faster! Once you have a process map and times you can Process Cycle start to understand: Efficiency • How efficient your processes are running • Evaluate how well improvements are working

푉푎푙푢푒 퐴푑푑 푇푖푚푒 푃푟표푐푒푠푠 퐶푦푐푙푒 퐸푓푓푖푐푖푒푛푐푦 푃퐶퐸 = 푇표푡푎푙 푃푟표푐푒푠푠 푇푖푚푒 Value Stream Mapping and Process Flow Tools Process Flow Map Transportation Diagram Value Add vs Non Value Add Cause – Focused Brainstorming Tools Five Whys Fishbone Diagram Efficiency Poka Yoke Reduce WIP Inventory Monitoring / Metrics Overall Potting Effectiveness Process Cycle Efficiency Tom Knuth [email protected] (218) 343-2650 Thomson, GA www.stilt.pro @STILT.PRO

• – “Change for Better” • – “Signboard” • Hansei - “Reflection” • Jidoka – “Built-in Quality” • Gemba or Genchi Genbutsu – “Go and see for yourself” • Takt – “Cycle Time” • Heijunka – “Leveling” • Poka-Yoke – "mistake-proofing“ • Muda – “Non-Value-Added” • – “Overburdening people or equipment” • Mura – “Unevenness”