Guideline #2: Develop continuous flow wherever possible
Continuous flow refers to producing one piece at a time, with each item passed immediately from one process step to the next without stagnation in between. Continuous flow is the most efficient way to produce, and you should use a lot of creativity in achieving it!
Rother, M. and Shook, J., Learning To See: Value Stream Mapping to Add Value and Eliminate Muda. © Copyright 1999 Lean Enterprise Institute, Inc. Cambridge, MA., lean.org. All rights reserved.
A good approach can be, to begin with, a combination of continuous flow and some pull/FIFO. Then extend the range of continuous flow as process reliability is improved, changeover times are reduced to near zero, and smaller, in-line equipment is developed.
