One-Piece Flow vs. Batching : A Guide to Understanding How Continuous Flow Maximizes Productivity and Customer Value

Although batching often appears more efficient than one-piece flow for individual tasks, the practice creates waste for other parts of the organization that more than offset its perceived benefits. A silent productivity killer, batching is an extremely difficult mindset to overcome and, as a result, numerous Lean initiatives have been destroyed by it.

This book argues the case for one-piece flow over batching. It identifies the eight root causes of batching, the wastes created from batching, how batching drives the eight wastes, and the advantages of one-piece flow.

One-Piece Flow vs. Batching: A Guide to Understanding How Continuous Flow Maximizes Productivity and Customer Value provides concrete arguments as to why batching, while sometimes necessary, is never the most efficient solution for most processes. It explains why flow, especially one-piece flow or continuous flow, should always be your ultimate objective when driving for increased productivity in any process.

Using case studies to illustrate how to channel current mindsets toward one-piece flow as the preferred operation, the book is designed to support anyone involved in continuous improvement activities. It provides the tools and understanding you will need to overcome resistance to implementing flow and, in particular, one-piece flow processes—whether it be on the factory floor or in a banking office.

• Identifies the eight root causes of batching
• Outlines the advantages of one-piece flow versus batching
• Describes how batching drives the eight wastes
• Includes case studies and examples that illustrate why one-piece flow is better than batching

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Authors

Chapter 1 : The Silent Productivity Killer
Chapter 2 : Who Batches … and What’s the Big Deal If It’s "Me?"
Chapter 3 : Types of Batching
Chapter 4 : I’m Going to Need a Few More Examples
Chapter 5 : Let’s Get into This a Little Deeper, Shall We?
Chapter 6 : The Eight Root Causes of Batching
Chapter 7 : The Eight Root Causes of Batching Continued
Chapter 8 : What Problems Come with the Batching Paradox?
Chapter 9 : Light Shined on the Hidden Costs of Batching
Chapter 10 : Which Came First, Batching or the Eight Wastes?
Chapter 11 : Debunking the Myths
Chapter 12 : Batching vs. One-Piece Flow
Chapter 13 : Are You Ready for One-Piece Flow?

Appendix
Index