Benefits of Spaghetti Diagrams (Six Sigma)

Lean tools are commonly utilized within facilities that are seeking to improve processes, leading to cost reduction as well as profitability increase. Lean tools are a must for any manufacturing facility that seeks to continuously improve and ensure that they are taking their operation to the next level – and maintaining a competitive edge.

With lean and six sigma concepts, there are many tools that can bring significant advantages to an operation. These tools can effectively reduce or eliminate various types of waste in an existing process or system. This may be transportation, motion, waiting time, or any other form of process that is considered to be non-value added. A tool that can greatly aid with this concept, is a diagram called a Spaghetti Diagram.

Spaghetti Diagrams track individuals within a facility and take note of everywhere that they go. This diagram will look like a bunch of lines and drawings that demonstrate the individual moving from area to area. As it tracks this movement and the activities, you will begin to see how much time is being wasted in certain areas, through steps, or through any other form of unnecessary movement.

While the diagram sounds relatively simple and not as important to take note of, it actually can demonstrate key areas of waste that are often ignored. This is because facilities tend to ignore the importance of floor layout and motion in any operation and believe that there is not anything they can do about it. Utilizing a spaghetti diagram can not only showcase the areas of waste, but aid in the solutions process of redesigning a line layout or moving work areas around. Spaghetti Diagrams have many key benefits and advantages that can provide thorough insight into their facility.

Benefits of Spaghetti Diagrams (Six Sigma)

Understanding the benefits of Spaghetti Diagrams can aid in the decision of choosing to utilize this tool and process. The benefits of utilizing Spaghetti Diagrams include the following:

• Area Layout Inefficiency Identification – Identification of area layout inefficiencies are one of the key benefits of utilizing Spaghetti Diagrams. As you track the movement of employees, you will see overtime the inefficiencies within the steps and which step takes the longest to complete. Area layout waste could include unnecessary corners, work station layouts, hallways, or any other form of structural issue within the facility.
• Transportation/Motion Waste – Transportation and motion waste are the main concerns pertaining to Spaghetti Diagrams, and this tool accurately showcases areas of pertinent waste in this area. As transportation and motion waste are some of the most substantial wastes, this tool will allow you to have a visual representation of how much waste is actually occurring through unnecessary movement.
• Non-Value Added Time Identification – Spaghetti Diagrams also showcase the time that is spent on missed production identification, order processing confusion, or any other form of mistake that occurs within the tasks or facility. As these processes are documented, it shows how much time is lost due to fixing any errors and can aid in reduction of any non-value added time (rework, productivity loss, etc.)
•  Employee Fatigue Reduction – The last major benefit pertaining to Spaghetti Diagrams includes improving efficiency of operations and ultimately leading to reduced employee fatigue due to unnecessary movement. As this movement is eliminated, employees will have more energy and can focus on areas that are in need of actual work, thus increasing productivity.

Spaghetti Diagrams can be extremely beneficial to operations that are seeking to track unnecessary movement and motion within a facility. A software that can aid with improving processes and inefficiencies includes PlanetTogether’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Software. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Software is a must for manufacturing facilities around the globe that are seeking to enhance operational efficiency as well as cost reduction and profitability increase.

Advanced Planning and Scheduling Software 

Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software has become a must for modern-day manufacturing operations due to customer demand for increased product mix and fast delivery combined with downward cost pressures. APS can be quickly integrated with a ERP/MRP software to fill gaps where these system lack planning and scheduling flexibility and accuracy. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) helps planners save time while providing greater agility in updating ever-changing priorities, production schedules, and inventory plans.

• Create optimized schedules balancing production efficiency and delivery performance
• Maximize output on bottleneck resources to increase revenue
• Synchronize supply with demand to reduce inventories
• Provide company-wide visibility to capacity
• Enable scenario data-driven decision making

Implementation of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software will take your manufacturing operations to the next level of production efficiency, taking advantage of the operational data you already have in your ERP.