3P - Lean Six Sigma Glossary

3P

The 3P is an acronym for Production Preparation Process. It also stands for the 3 steps on this process. It is a method which focuses on eliminating waste and optimising the processes right at the time of product and/or process design.

Chihiro Nakao, the founder of the consulting firm Shingijutsu, introduced The 3P in the mid-1980s’. When it was introduced, it was named “New Production Preparation” or NPP, however, was later changed to 3P.

The 3P were first implemented by Volkswagen, focused on its manufacturing processes. The key was the usage of models and prototypes for assembly line tests.

Production Preparation Process help reduce resource requirements such as capital, tools, work space, inventory as well as time to produce. This is done by rapidly designing processes and equipment ensuring capability, quality, productivity, enabled by takt-time based pull production system.

The 3P of Production Preparation Process

The 3P’s of production preparation process refer to the systematic approach of ensuring efficient and cost effective production. As the name implies, the 3P’s involve the Plan, Prepare and Produce steps. By following this structured system and breaking it down into digestible chunks, companies can ensure an organised, functional operation which can lead to increased profitability, better customer service and overall improved production performance.

Plan

The Plan stage of the production preparation process involves looking at the big picture of operations. This step is crucial as the decisions made during this stage will affect the strategy and timelines of the entire production. It is during the plan step that the company examines the type of product it will produce, the required budget, timelines, raw materials, manpower, marketing, and distribution. Additionally, the plan step also involves assessing customer needs and expectations so that the company is able to deliver products which meet those expectations.

Prepare

After the company itself, the customer is the most important stakeholder during the production preparation process. During the Prepare stage, customer feedback is taken into consideration in order to maximize customer satisfaction. By using customer feedback, the company is able to make necessary adjustments in the production process such as allocating resources, taking into account cost-efficiency, quality control, customer service, etc. Additionally, during the Prepare step, the company’s managerial staff can improve their overall workflows and tweak the production processes accordingly.

Produce

Now that the company has a clear plan and has made necessary preparatory steps to prepare for the production, it’s time for the company to begin actually producing. This is the Produce step. During this stage, products are either manufactured from scratch or a combination of raw materials are used to assemble the product. During this step, safety regulations and quality control measures must be strictly followed and maintained to ensure that the product meets the customer’s needs, expectations and is free of any defects.

The 3P of the production preparation process are all essential to the success and cost-effectiveness of production. By ensuring that the company has an effective plan, making necessary preparations before production and that the products are produced according to the customer’s expectations, plans, and budgets; companies can be sure to produce an efficient, profitable, and high-quality product that customers love.

By the way, do check out the Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook – it is one of the most essential guide for anyone trying to get certified as LSS Black belt or in general wants to understand LSS and improve processes. – check it out here.

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Sachin Naik

Passionate about improving processes and systems | Lean Six Sigma practitioner, trainer and coach for 14+ years consulting giant corporations and fortune 500 companies on Operational Excellence | Start-up enthusiast | Change Management and Design Thinking student | Love to ride and drive