Making Materials Flow describes in plain language another step in implementing a complete lean business system. LEI's first workbook, Learning to See, focused on where to start — at the value stream for each product family within your facilities. Seeing the Whole then expanded the value stream map beyond facility walls, all the way from raw materials to customer. After mapping has identified waste and potential applications of flow and pull, you can use the techniques in Creating Continuous Flow to implement truly continuous flow in cellularized operations. Making Materials Flow takes the next step by explaining how to supply purchased parts to the value stream in order to support continuous flow.

Making Materials Flow explains in plain language how to create such a system by applying the relevant concepts and methods in a step-by-step progression. The workbook reveals the exercises, formulas, standards, and forms that a consultant would use to implement the system in your environment. The four key steps detailed in the workbook include:

Developing the Plan For Every Part (PFEP)

Building the purchased-parts market

Designing delivery routes

Implementing pull signals to integrate the new material-handling system with the information management system.

Finally, you'll learn how to sustain and continuously improving the system by implementing periodic audits of the material-handling system across the chain of management, from route operator to plant manager.