EWAB Flow Technology and Theory of Constraints

Balance Flow not Capacity

EWAB Flow Technology have built in functionality and intelligence to balance the flow of products around the systems constraint resources protecting bottlenecks from starvation and making sure that even the very last product in each batch spends the shortest possible time to travel through the system.

Drum
EWAB Flow Technology automatically balances the flow around the "drum", the constraint that sets the pace of the production system (i.e. Takt time). The drum should always be protected from starvation of parts as well as having space to disperse finished parts.

Time Buffer
EWAB Flow Technology maintains a primary small Time Buffer in front of one or several machines that is the current constraint. A dynamic secondary Time Buffer is maintained upstream from the constraint(s), but only to a degree that is set by the "length of the rope".

Space Buffers
EWAB Flow Technology Space Buffer allowing constraints space to disperse of finished parts, works a similar way but downstream from the constraint resource.

Rope
EWAB Flow Technology decide the slack / length of the rope, by determining the amount of pallets in the system. With too few pallets, the rope will be tight and there will be very little or no time for necessary service such as tool changes, batch changes, etc. With the right amount of pallets, the system will be dynamic and balance itself to allow time for various planned activities. With too many pallets, the system will go from a pull system to a push system since the dynamic is eliminated.

---

Project management

EWAB Project Managers are applying Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) rather than the Critical Path Method. The Critical Chain Project Management involves the use of both time and space buffers for critical tasks thus encouraging higher overall efficiency which in turn eliminates the effects of Parkinson's law. (Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion). The probability for projects to finished on or before deadline also improves the ability to meet budgets and quality requirements.

---

Throughput accounting

Lean manufacturing thinking is necessary but it is not sufficient. The way most organisation still evaluate performance today is by using numbers that is derived using cost accounting methods established almost 100 years ago. Cost accounting drives sub-optimization which is very costly but does not improve productivity thus does not improve the bottom line - in fact it will most likely do the opposite. Throughput accounting is necessary to make the most out of any lean operation.

Read about Theory of Constraints:

more...