Lean Zone® Production Methodologies

The Airplane Game
(PDF Flier and Order Form)

Visual, hands-on demonstration of how changes can improve productivity.
Dramatic results reinforce the experience.
Excellent method to break down paradigms.

Lean Zone® Production Methodologies

Lean Zone® Production Methodologies, a cellular manufacturing simulation, has been sold to over 28 countries, and is widely used by Fortune 500 companies and other large organizations, including Bell Helicopter, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Lockheed-Martin, Black & Decker, and Eastman-Kodak as a vital training tool.

Lean Zone® Production Methodologies helps break down employees' natural resistance to change, making it a practical and entertaining way to introduce new concepts, open constructive dialogue and demonstrate the positive aspects of well-planned directed change. Employees involved in the simulation see why lean Production Methodologies is necessary. It helps to remove their fears regarding change and encourage them to identify non-value added activity. Using a fictional aircraft factory, Lean Zone® Production Methodologies also specifically teaches advanced manufacturing practices, including:

The benefits of cellular manufacturing over traditional plant layouts
The effects of rapid throughput with traditional manufacturing
Work-in-progress as a manageable asset
Inventory risks
Independent cross training
Flexible workforce (load leveling)
One-piece workflow with a pull system

Six participants operate simulated workstations along the assembly line in their imaginary aircraft plant. The four-phase simulation begins with participants producing airplanes using a traditional plant layout. In phases two and three, they redesign their work area into a cellular layout and learn to utilize one-piece workflow with a pull system. In the final phase, they experience the concepts of a flexible workforce and load leveling.

Supplier problems, labor skills, deadlines, quality control and other real-life situations have been incorporated into each phase of the simulation. Each phase lasts six minutes with time for comments and discussion.

Each Lean Zone® Production Methodologies kit includes:

20-page instruction manual
Charts
Stopwatch
Feeler gauge
Markers
More than 1000 plastic interlocking parts for constructing airplanes

Many organizations spend hundreds of dollars per person on lengthy seminars for employees to learn what Lean Zone® Production Methodologies can teach in as little as one hour - all for only $425.