The traditional leadership does not last
“What is it Lean can?”, I am frequently asked. Let me give an example by telling you how you can save money by getting a lower diesel consumption.
In a traditional management you will tell your employees that they need to drive in a certain way to get a lower consumption. But you have to say it again and again. It can be almost like asking the children to clean up the room, “I have said it so many times!” And shortly after, it is the same old again.
Lean management works better
With Lean management are a few things quite basic:
1. To involve employees
2. The gauge on what you do
3. Make it all visible on boards
Involve employees
When you need employees to go with you, then they must be involved. They know best where the shoe pinches and besides, they are just as tired of getting something foisted as you are. You can get some valuable solutions when you let your employees involved.
Measurements are necessary
You can not motivate people to continue to find solutions, if there are no figures for what happens. Then it is just a feeling and it can be a little bit of no matter.
I have on Facebook asked people how they measure diesel consumption. The fact is that the measurement must be made every day and close to the task. Otherwise, it does not say anything about the solutions you are researching on. The answer I got was:
- We have a chip on each machine, so we can get consumption per. assignment.
- We look at the tractor diesel meter. It can also display fuel consumption per. hour. We used 5.8 l of avg. per. hour.
- By having a tank gauge on the tank. There is a big difference between what individual people use when they mixes feed.
- I use a simple tank gauge on the diesel tank. Fill up before the task and again afterwards. Then we can see what is spent per hectare land or per hour.
- We write it on a board and calculate consumption for each task. It is very fun to follow.
In Farmtest no. 109, Machinery and Plant, Seges is examined how to save diesel. They come to the following conclusion, when you want to reduce consumption:
- Don´t process the land more than necessary.
- don´t process the land deeper than necessary (some few centimeters difference in the harrow depth means a lot).
- Run with as low engine speed as the tractor can do the job with.
- Drive in as high a gear as the tractor can pull the gear in.
- When plowing run with limited speed, cast of land costing unnecessary energy.
- Maintain the tractor properly.
There can surely be many more. I know for example, that on a farm there were 20% of the difference between the time the employees was about to load, mix and feed. It was primarily the way to drive and to load precisely the first time.
Make it visible on boards
You might say to your employees that they need to drive in a certain way. But when you involve them in the solutions and do the measurements and your effort visible on a whiteboard, then something happens with motivation. There will be a lot of suggestions and commitment to achieve your goals.
It will also create the lasting change and a culture means that employees continue to find solutions to the goals and focus areas, you set up for the farm.
