One-Piece Flow vs. Batching: A Guide to Understanding How Continuous Flow Maximizes Productivity and Customer Value

Although batching often appears more efficient than one-piece flow for individual tasks, the practice creates waste for other parts of the organization that more than offset its perceived benefits. A silent productivity killer, batching is an extremely difficult mindset to overcome and, as a result, numerous Lean initiatives have been destroyed by it.

This book argues the case for one-piece flow over batching. It identifies the eight root causes of batching, the wastes created from batching, how batching drives the eight wastes, and the advantages of one-piece flow.

One-Piece Flow vs. Batching: A Guide to Understanding How Continuous Flow Maximizes Productivity and Customer Value provides concrete arguments as to why batching, while sometimes necessary, is never the most efficient solution for most processes. It explains why flow, especially one-piece flow or continuous flow, should always be your ultimate objective when driving for increased productivity in any process.

Using case studies to illustrate how to channel current mindsets toward one-piece flow as the preferred operation, the book is designed to support anyone involved in continuous improvement activities. It provides the tools and understanding you will need to overcome resistance to implementing flow and, in particular, one-piece flow processes--whether it be on the factory floor or in a banking office.

Charles Protzman, MBA, CPM, formed Business Improvement Group (B.I.G.) LLC in November 1997. B.I.G. is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and specializes in implementing Lean thinking principles and the Lean business delivery system--LBDS. Charles has over 34 years of experience in materials and operations management. He spent 13 and a half years with AlliedSignal, now Honeywell, where he was an aerospace strategic operations manager and the first AlliedSignal Lean master. He has received numerous special-recognition and cost-reduction awards.

Joe McNamara is president and chief executive officer of McNamara Holdings, which include TTarp Inc. Joe was formerly the vice president of Global Operations of ITT Control Technologies based in Valencia, California. Prior to becoming vice-president of operations, Joe was general manager of ITT Heat Transfer in Cheektowaga, New York. He led the introduction of Lean Six Sigma into the ＄400 M, ITT Fluid Handling Division as Six Sigma Champion with 12 Six Sigma Black Belts in the United States and Canada. Outside of work, Joe enjoys spending time with his wife, Karen, participating in ultra-marathons, and reading www.biglean.com.

Daniel Protzman has been the director of customer solutions for the Business Improvement Group since 2014. With four years’ experience in the health-care field, Daniel brings an interesting perspective to the company. Daniel’s previous medical recruiting and staffing company went through a major series of transitions in his tenure, where he was able to help guide the company in a positive direction. He was a source of knowledge for the process improvement team and eventually left that company to follow his true calling in continuous improvement. Daniel is a certified MBTI practitioner and holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech.