The VMP Group, LLC Phone:501.952.0530

What can we learn about Lean Systems from NASCAR?

Joe T. Felan, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant

© 2007 The VMP Group, LLC

Lean practices were initially imported from Japan in the early 1980s in an attempt to copy the successful Just-In-Time (JIT) approach to production. Early attempts to copy this approach were seldom successful because it was viewed as just an inventory reduction technique. A prerequisite to understanding the JIT approach (or Lean Systems) is to recognize that the overriding objective is to eliminate waste. Over time, U.S. manufacturers also began to understand the difference between value-adding activities and non-value-adding activities. Therefore, the lean approach attempts to optimize value-adding activities while minimizing (or eliminating) non-value-added activates.
If an activity does not add value, as the customer perceives it, then it is wasted time, motion and resources.

Now, what does NASCAR have to do with lean production systems? When I watch a NASCAR race, I see the car going around the track consuming laps as the actual production time and the pit stop is the setup time. The pit stop (or setup) is a necessary activity but a non-value-added activity. Thus, the goal is to minimize the time of the pit stop to minimize the negative effects of the stoppage (or setup) on the cost and throughput of what is being produced. This is important for business as well as NASCAR.

Every time I enjoy a NASCAR race, I am just amazed at what they are able to accomplish in just a few seconds. Every second (and even fractions of seconds) is orchestrated with precision and accuracy. The adrenaline mounts as every member of the twelve-person crew is competitively focused on two things: Speed and quality.

Who is a part of the twelve-person team? Five members of the team work inside the wall, preparing, repairing, and transporting equipment and supplies between pit stops. However, closest to the action located “over-the-wall” are seven more team members, responding directly to the driver and the car. Each of the seven positions has well-defined responsibilities that are:
 Jack Man - Jacking the car
 Front and Rear Tire Carriers
 Front and Rear Tire Changers
 Gas Can Man – Fueling car
 Catch-Can Man – Catching overflow of fuel

The primary activities of the pit crew are changing four tires, pumping 22 gallons of gas and cleaning the windshield in less than 15 seconds. This is even more amazing when you consider that it took more than 60 seconds to complete a pit stop in 1980 (that is over a 75% improvement).

How have the teams been able to make such improvements? It takes planning, preparation and commitment. The teams continually analyze and review the tire changing and refueling process. They look for faster acting tools, such as quicker, lighter jacks and special tools for quick tire removal and replacement. They also spend many hours practicing to become more proficient and to test new methods. Some pit crews are even undergoing fitness training to prepare for their roll in the race. We are also seeing that former college athletes are now finding NASCAR pit crews as a way for them to make it to the professional ranks.

Setup Improvement Basic Logic
Without question, the expert on speedy changeovers is Shigeo Shingo with his book, A Revolution in Manufacturing: The SMED System. SMED is an acronym for “Single Minute Exchange of Die” and outlines the fundamentals concerning setup reductions. According to Shingo, there are three stages each company must work through and they are:
1. Separating Internal from External setup
2. Converting Internal to External setup
3. Streamlining All Aspects of the Setup Operation

To better understand these steps, let’s differentiate the term internal setup from external setup. Internal setup includes those tasks that are performed while a machine is down. As an example, an internal setup in a job shop would be to replace a die on a punch press when the press is not running. External setup includes all of the tasks that are done when a machine is running. On our shop floors, an example of external setup is to have all of the tools necessary to complete the setup ready to go at the point of use prior to the machine going down.

Let’s look at the above stages as they relate to the NASCAR example. What work must be done while the car is stopped (internal setup) and what can be done before the car comes to a stop (external setup). One area of improvement has been with the five lug nuts. They started by making sure that the lug nuts were available at the time of the pit stop (someone is not running around looking for lug nuts after the car has come to a stop). To streamline the process even further, the lug nuts are now adhered to the wheel prior to the pit stop. This saves time and reduces the probability of having the nuts cross-threaded.

What Next?
Lean processes and continuous improvement begins with a thorough audit of all plant operations. You need to look at how setups are performed at every stage of your process. Then, find a way to eliminate every non-essential activity during the setups in your facility. Lean setups are those where all of the non-essential activities have been removed from the changeover process. If the activity does not directly contribute to the changeover, or if it is not a necessary element of the changeover process – eliminate it. Is your workplace clean or does it take 10 minutes to clean up before you can start the next operation? Are your tools ready, convenient and easy to find? Are you preparing for the next changeover before it is time for the actually change? Have you eliminated all non-essential tasks during the setup? The next time you watch a NASCAR race, take some time to watch the pit stops. Notice how much they are able to accomplish in under 15 seconds and think about applying what you see to your operation.

References
Boudette, N.E., “Some College Jocks Find Their Pro Careers are in the Nascar Pits,” Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2005.

Cheng, T.C.E. and S. Podolsky, Just-in-Time Manufacturing: An Introduction, Second Edition, Chapman & Hall, London, 1996.

Finch, B., Operations Now: Supply Chain Profitability and Performance, Third Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2008.

Shingo, S., A Revolution in Manufacturing; The SMED System, Productivity Press, Portland, OR, 1985.