About me


Born	1973 in London (UK)
Education	University of Hertfordshire, B.Eng (Hons.) in Manufacturing Systems Engineering (1998) FHT Esslingen (ERASMUS Austausch 1995-7)
Qualifications	Chartered Engineer (2004) EurIng (2004)
Memberships	Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) Verband Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI) Germany Association for Quality Assurance (DGQ)
Employment	Robert Bosch GMBH, Homburg Germany Robert Bosch Diesel KK, Higashimatsuyama Japan BorgWarner Transmission Systems, Ketsch Germany IHI Charging Systems International, Heidelberg Germany GETRAG Ford Transmissions, Cologne Germany
Certifications	Process Auditor für VDA6.3 Product Auditor für VDA6.5 Second-party Systemauditor for IATF 16949 Auditor für AIAG Special Processes CQI-9, CQI-11, CQI-12, CQI-15, CQI-17, CQI-23, CQI-27 Product Safety and Conformity Representative (PSCR) KAIZEN-Practitioner

Mark Atkins

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Profile: Mark Atkins

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Company Presentation: Atkins Consulting

Japan

Japan and its language and culture have always played a big part in my life. In 1990 I read a book “The Machine that Changed the World” which described the increasing influence of Toyota and the Toyota Production System (TPS) and also how the western manufacturers needed to adapt their principles or esle they would be left behind. A quarter of a century later the majority of European and US manufacturers have adopted and modified TPS for their own needs. From this many Japanese words have found their way into the vocabulary of the quality engineer:

KAIZEN (改善) lit. “Change for the better”

3 Types of waste:

MUDA (無駄) lit. “Uselessness” – eliminate all unnecessary process steps which do not add value
MURA (斑) lit. “Uneveneness” – level out all steps
MURI (無理) lit. “Impossibility” – do not overload the workers

5 S (these steps must be done in the order listed)

- SEIRI (整理) lit. “sort out” – remove unnecessary things from the workplace
- SEITON (整頓) lit. “straighten out” – arrange whatver is left over
- SEISO (清掃) lit. “shine” – clean up the workplace
- SEIKETSU (清潔) lit. “standardise” – set standards for cleanliness and tidiness
- SHITSUKE (躾) lit. “maintain” – keep the standards maintained in the future

ANDON (行灯) lit. “lantern” – a visual signal (e.g. light or display screen)
GEMBA (現場) lit. “place of happening” – wherever any activity is performed
HEIJUNKA (平準化) lit. “smoothing” – a level manufacturing cycle time
HOUSHIN KANRI (方針管理) lit. “planned management” – set targets for all levels of the operation
JIDOUKA (自動化) lit. “automation” – use machines in place of heavy physical work
KANBAN (看板) lit. “sign” – a card or similar item used to request parts from the supermarket
MIZUSUMASHI (水澄) lit. “water beetle” – an electric tug used to deliver parts to the production line

About me

Downloads

You can download my complete profile here:

You can download my company presentation here:

Japan

KAIZEN (改善) lit. “Change for the better”

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