// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
Heijunka
A Lean technique for leveling the production schedule by distributing the production of different products evenly over time, avoiding peaks and valleys.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Heijunka, a Lean manufacturing principle, is the leveling of production volume and mix over a fixed period, achieved through sequencing different product types and quantities to smooth demand fluctuations, reduce Mura (unevenness), and optimize resource utilization.
BACKGROUND
The Toyota Production System (TPS) is an integrated socio-technical system, developed by Toyota, that comprises its management philosophy and practices. The TPS is a management system that organizes manufacturing and logistics for the automobile manufacturer, including interaction with suppliers and customers. The system is a major precursor of the more generic "lean manufacturing". Taiichi Ohno and Eiji Toyoda, Japanese industrial engineers, developed the system between 1948 and 1975.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Production leveling
- load leveling
- demand smoothing
- mixed-model production
USAGE NOTE
Heijunka helps stabilize production, reduce inventory, and improve resource utilization by avoiding sudden spikes in demand.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Heijunka.
Siemens develops Opcenter APS (formerly Preactor), an advanced planning and scheduling software that enables manufacturers to implement Heijunka by leveling production. The software helps to smooth out production peaks and troughs, reduce inventory, and improve on-time delivery.
Through its DELMIA brand, Dassault Systèmes offers Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) solutions like DELMIA Quintiq and DELMIA Ortems. These tools are designed to optimize and level production loads, balance resource utilization, and create stable manufacturing schedules in line with Heijunka principles.
PlanetTogether specializes in Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software designed to optimize production schedules. Its platform directly supports Heijunka by enabling production leveling, or smoothing, to create a more consistent workflow, reduce changeovers, and minimize bottlenecks.
SAP provides Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling (PP/DS) capabilities within its S/4HANA suite. This module allows businesses to create feasible production plans based on real-time capacity and constraints, supporting Heijunka through algorithms for resource load leveling and schedule smoothing.
Plex offers a cloud-based Smart Manufacturing Platform that includes finite scheduling tools. These tools help manufacturers level-load their production schedules based on capacity, materials, and labor, enabling a more balanced and efficient flow consistent with Heijunka.
Infor's CloudSuite solutions for manufacturing include robust Advanced Scheduling modules. These tools provide visual scheduling and capacity planning features that allow planners to smooth production, level machine and labor loads, and implement lean manufacturing concepts like Heijunka.
AspenTech provides software solutions for process industries, including the Aspen Plant Scheduler. This technology helps manufacturers optimize and level their production schedules by balancing demand with plant capacity, which is a core tenet of the Heijunka methodology.
GE Digital's Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Proficy software suite help manufacturers gain real-time visibility into production. This data feeds into scheduling systems that can be used to level production flow and optimize asset utilization, supporting the implementation of Heijunka.