3P (Production Preparation Process)

The Production Preparation Process or 3P is the process of developing an integrated product and production system that will meet the requirements of product design quality at the necessary production volume at the target cost by the target date. Unlike kaizens which are generally aimed at improving existing processes, a 3P event is essentially starting with a clean sheet of paper and utilizing lean principles from the inception of the project. Note that 3P can also be focused on just a process or product design but is more powerful when the 3P event couples the product and process from the start.

The 3P team members link the process hardware e.g., fixtures, materials, equipment, tooling, and tools to the process software e.g., material flow, information flow, standard work, and inspection, to provide an effective production system. The t ...