Load leveling | Production Leveling | Production Smoothing
Pioneered by the lean guru Taiichi Ohno, referred to load leveling as “heijunka” (HIGH JUNK AH), meaning a technique for reducing the mode of (waste). Load leveling is a method for reducing large fluctuations in customer demand.
Lean guru Taiichi Ohno can be quoted, “The slower, but consistent tortoise causes less waste and is much more desirable than the speedy hare that races ahead and then stops occasionally to doze. The Toyota Production System can be realized only when all the workers become tortoises.” You could have leveling by volume, or leveling by product. Leveling by volume: A family of products goes through essentially the same process steps.