Lean Strategies International
Menu

Listen to the Gemba

Would you like to submit a post on Listen to the Gemba?  
Click Here to Submit Your Continuous Improvement Post!

Push Or Pull?

3/9/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
   Try and push a chain from one side of the room to the other,  What happens?  Now take that same chain and pull it from one side of the room to the other, Now what happens?  You might have experienced what is shown in the picture above.  When we try to push the chain it tangles, coils and eventually bunches up to where the links move rather inefficiently.  But if we pull the chain from one side to the other, the links become tight and move at the pull of the chain.  This analogy is very much the same as a work environment. Let's take a deeper look at each one of these systems and Find out exactly what is so great about the Pulling Concept.

Push

  The push system has been used for years in traditional manufacturing and forecasting environments, we see it fairly frequently in Make to Stock environments, although not 100% make to stock businesses are Push Systems only.  The easiest way to understand what a Push system actually is, is to think of it this way.... In a push system there is no Order attached to the Product,  that means that we make the product prior to any demand being created.  As you may have guessed this requires very accurate forecasting techniques and often times can create a severe "bullwhip effect" as the forecasting travels up the supply chain.  The other element as you can imagine that can distinguish a push system is the direction that Information flows through the Value Stream.  In the Push environment information and product chases after the customer in hopes of attaching a sales order to the system in some way shape or form.  

  As you can probably imagine two of the most notable forms of waste associated with a push system are Overproduction and Excess Inventory although quite honestly any time product is produced before an order is maintained there is much more waste than that in the value stream.  Often times in a true Push system there are absolutely no limits on the amount of Work In Progress which as you may have guessed creates a lot of unbalanced workload and unnecessary burdens on your team.  

  Even though the Push system tends to get a bad rap nowadays there are a few benefits to the Push system however the benefits really almost never outweigh the costs when you dig deep into it.  

Pull

  As you may have imagined in our Chain experiment there are many advantages to a Pull system or a "demand" driven Organization.  The first that you may have been able to visualize dragging your chain around is that the chain tightens and the links stay in line, much like the chain when you pull the work down through the supply chain often times it is much easier to keep your "links" in line.  

  The pull system is only activated by a Customer order,  which means that the large majority of WIP has an order attached to it in one way or another.  One Example of a pull system might be in a Kanban system,  when one bin is empty it triggers the production or replenishment of that item in "need".  Essentially the Pull system is set up for items that in one way or another have a "Customer Order" attached to them. Keep in mind that although the Kanban system is an easy way to understand a pull system the goal is not Kanban the goal should always be true one piece flow.  


  True Pull set's limitations based on customer desires and the demand being driven,  if there is no limitations in place there is a good chance that you may be looking at a push system.

Push-Pull

  To Push or Pull?  that is the question,  Ideally we always want to create what the customer wants and has committed to,  but often times it's not either or, it is when? You see most environments are at some point in the overall system push and then transition into pull.  The point at which this happens is a strategic decision that an Organization must decide on.  One Key element in deciding where the transition happens is in the visibility that other partners have, that one element can help the switch from push to pull much easier.  Remember too, that in a push system you are paying all the time with no guarantee of repayment so if at all possible try to pull much more than you push.  
  

  Overall the widely accepted better practice certainly is a Pull system, So why is it that so many people still push in today's day and age?  Well there are quite a few reasons why, next week we will talk about a few elements of Inventory control and why some companies still operate on somewhat of a "pushy" basis.  
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Click Here to Submit Your Post on Listen to the Gemba.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2019
    January 2019
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Categories

    All
    7 Management/Planning Tools
    Cause Effect
    Continuous Improvement
    Just In Time
    Lean-and-quality
    Lean-and-quality
    Lean-assessment
    Lean Basics
    Lean Courses
    Lean Holidays
    Lean Leadership
    Lean Metrics
    Lean Sales And Marketing
    Lean Six Sigma Basics
    Lean Strategy
    Lean Tools
    MRP/ERP
    Q&A
    REDUCE/SMED
    Six Sigma Tools
    Standardization
    Submit A Blog Post
    Top 20 Lean Tips
    Updates
    Waste

    Recommended Readings

    Lean and Six Sigma Recommended Readings
    Visit our Recommended Reading Page for some great Lean and Six Sigma Books.
Lean Strategies International LLC.
Follow Us on YouTube or Our Other Channels Below.
             ©2015-2021 Lean Strategies International LLC.  
  • Home Page
  • Services
    • Training >
      • Waste Training
      • Introduction to Lean
      • Lean Champions >
        • Lean Six Sigma White Belt
        • Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt
      • Lean Tools You Can Use Series! >
        • The 5S System
        • The ©Gemba Methodology
        • The FISH Methodology
        • The CURE Methodology
        • Quick Changeover with REDUCE
        • Mistake Proofing and the Poka Yoke System
        • The Just in Time System
  • Lean Resources
    • Listen to The Gemba
    • Glossary
    • Lean and Six Sigma Quotes
    • Recommended Reading
    • Events
    • Masters of Lean and Six Sigma
    • Career /Jobs
  • Store
    • Workspace
  • Home Page
  • Services
    • Training >
      • Waste Training
      • Introduction to Lean
      • Lean Champions >
        • Lean Six Sigma White Belt
        • Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt
      • Lean Tools You Can Use Series! >
        • The 5S System
        • The ©Gemba Methodology
        • The FISH Methodology
        • The CURE Methodology
        • Quick Changeover with REDUCE
        • Mistake Proofing and the Poka Yoke System
        • The Just in Time System
  • Lean Resources
    • Listen to The Gemba
    • Glossary
    • Lean and Six Sigma Quotes
    • Recommended Reading
    • Events
    • Masters of Lean and Six Sigma
    • Career /Jobs
  • Store
    • Workspace