💼Strategic Cost Management Unit 17 – Lean Accounting & Manufacturing Strategies

Lean Philosophy Basics

• Focuses on maximizing customer value while minimizing waste and non-value-added activities
• Emphasizes continuous improvement (kaizen) and respect for people
• Aims to create a culture of problem-solving and employee empowerment
• Utilizes a pull system where production is triggered by customer demand (just-in-time)
  • Reduces inventory and overproduction
• Strives for perfection through the relentless pursuit of eliminating waste (muda)
• Encourages standardization of processes to ensure consistency and reduce variability
• Promotes visual management techniques (andon boards, 5S) to quickly identify issues and improve communication

Traditional vs. Lean Accounting

• Traditional accounting focuses on cost allocation and variance analysis
  • Emphasizes labor efficiency and machine utilization
  • Uses standard costing and absorption costing methods
• Lean accounting aligns with lean philosophy and supports continuous improvement
  • Focuses on value creation and waste elimination
  • Uses value stream costing and direct costing methods
• Traditional accounting often leads to decisions that conflict with lean principles (overproduction, large batch sizes)
• Lean accounting provides relevant and timely information for decision-making
  • Simplifies financial reporting and eliminates non-value-added transactions
• Traditional accounting measures performance based on short-term financial metrics
  • Lean accounting measures performance based on customer value and process improvement

Value Stream Mapping

• Visual tool used to identify and analyze the flow of materials and information in a process
• Helps to identify waste, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities
• Starts with creating a current state map that depicts the existing process
  • Includes process steps, inventory levels, cycle times, and information flows
• Future state map is developed to show the desired process after improvements
  • Eliminates waste and optimizes flow
• Value stream mapping considers the entire process from raw materials to finished goods
• Enables cross-functional collaboration and understanding of the end-to-end process
• Key metrics used in value stream mapping include lead time, cycle time, and takt time
  • Takt time is the rate at which products must be produced to meet customer demand

Lean Manufacturing Techniques

• 5S: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain
  • Focuses on workplace organization and cleanliness
• Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): Proactive maintenance to maximize equipment effectiveness
• Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED): Reduces changeover times between product runs
• Poka-yoke: Error-proofing devices or methods to prevent defects
• Kanban: Visual signal system to control production and inventory levels
  • Uses cards or containers to trigger production or replenishment
• Heijunka: Leveling the production schedule to minimize peaks and valleys in demand
• Cellular manufacturing: Arranging equipment and workstations in a sequence to optimize flow
• Jidoka: Automation with a human touch, enabling machines to detect abnormalities and stop automatically

Cost Reduction Strategies

• Value engineering: Analyzing products and processes to reduce costs without sacrificing quality
• Target costing: Setting a target cost based on market price and desired profit margin
  • Involves cross-functional teams to design products that meet the target cost
• Kaizen costing: Continuous cost reduction through incremental improvements
• Lean supply chain management: Collaborating with suppliers to reduce waste and improve efficiency
  • Includes just-in-time delivery, supplier development, and long-term partnerships
• Inventory reduction: Minimizing inventory levels to reduce carrying costs and obsolescence
• Shared services: Consolidating support functions (HR, IT, finance) to reduce overhead costs
• Outsourcing: Transferring non-core activities to external providers to focus on core competencies

Performance Measurement in Lean Systems

• Value stream performance measures: Metrics that align with the goals of each value stream
  • Examples include lead time, on-time delivery, first-pass yield, and inventory turns
• Visual performance boards: Displaying key metrics and targets in a visible location
  • Encourages employee engagement and problem-solving
• Balanced scorecard: Measuring performance across four perspectives (financial, customer, internal processes, learning and growth)
• Box scores: Simplified financial reports that show the financial impact of lean improvements
• Process cycle efficiency: Ratio of value-added time to total lead time
• Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE): Measures equipment availability, performance, and quality
• Employee engagement and suggestion systems: Tracking employee participation in continuous improvement activities

Implementing Lean Accounting

• Obtain top management support and commitment to lean transformation
• Educate and train employees on lean principles and accounting methods
• Establish a lean accounting pilot project in a selected value stream
  • Demonstrate the benefits and build momentum for broader implementation
• Simplify the chart of accounts and eliminate unnecessary transactions
• Implement value stream costing and direct costing methods
  • Allocate costs based on value streams instead of departments or products
• Develop visual performance measures and box scores for each value stream
• Continuously improve the lean accounting system based on feedback and lessons learned
• Align incentives and rewards with lean goals and behaviors

Challenges and Future Trends

• Resistance to change from traditional accounting mindset and practices
• Difficulty in measuring the financial impact of lean improvements
• Lack of standardization in lean accounting methods and terminology
• Integration of lean accounting with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems
• Adapting lean accounting to service industries and knowledge work
• Incorporating sustainability and environmental considerations into lean accounting
• Leveraging technology (data analytics, artificial intelligence) to enhance lean accounting practices
• Developing lean accounting skills and expertise through education and certification programs
• Collaborating with academia and professional organizations to advance lean accounting research and best practices