Heijunka

Concepto

A lean method that levels production by volume and mix over time, so a plant follows a steady, repeating pattern instead of swings in orders, which reduces stock, overtime and lead time.

Descripción

Heijunka is the Japanese word for levelling. In production it means smoothing the schedule over time, both in volume and in mix, so that the plant follows a steady, repeating pattern instead of following every swing in orders. Instead of building all of product A in the morning and all of product B in the afternoon, it builds small amounts of both in a repeating sequence.

Levelling reduces peaks in workload, overtime and stock, and it makes the demand on suppliers calmer. It needs short changeovers and reliable processes, which is why it is linked to SMED and standard work. Heijunka is often used together with kanban and a pull system, and it is one of the foundations of the Toyota Production System.

Glosario

Expertos y empresas para este tema

• Mirko Peters · Microsoft MVP

Mantenido por Mirko Peters (Microsoft MVP) · Última actualización: 2026-11-11