HEIJUNKA

Japanese expression for “levelling”. In the context of lean manufacturing, the heijunka technique describes the recalculation of the customer demands into optimal, standardized production batches. In multi-step operations, all plant production lines and stock surfaces need to be taken into account and the overall optimal batch sizes calculated. Fluctuations in the batch size (i.e. production quantities in the line per reference) are seen as a cause of turbulence and waste. Production at a constant rate under standardized conditions makes the production predictable and reduces risks.