Rosatom Production System (RPS)
What is PSR?

The Rosatom production system is a large-scale industry project designed not only to increase labor productivity to the level of foreign competitors of the Rosatom State Corporation and reduce costs, but also to increase wages and create new rules for career growth.

The development and implementation of the RPS began in the second half of 2008, when the General Director of the Rosatom State Corporation Sergei Kiriyenko set the goal of increasing labor productivity in the industry by four times by 2020, reducing costs and, as a result, reducing the cost of products. On December 29, 2008, the order “On the implementation of the Rosatom production system in industry organizations” was signed.

The RPS is based on NOTPiU of the Ministry of Medium Engineering of the USSR - a system of scientific organization of labor, production and management. In addition, the RPS includes and adapts to industry specifics the best achievements and tools from other modern systems, in particular, the principles of the Japanese Toyota Production System.

Japanese 5S principle: Quality - Safety - Productivity

Sort - SEIRI Separate the necessary from the useless

Indicate rarely used
Leave only what you need

Keep order - SEITO Designate a place for each item
Every thing in its place

Keep it clean - SEISO Wash the equipment
Clean your work area
Identify sources of pollution
Eliminate sources of pollution

Standardize - SEIKETSU Indicate places requiring special
attention
Create visual standards

Improve - SHITSUKE Maintain discipline
Follow the 5S rules
Improve standards

BEST PRACTICES AT FSUE "ATOMFLOT":

year 2014:

The project “Increasing the productivity of spent fuel assemblies separation” was implemented within the framework of the enterprise and division of the Nuclear Weapons Complex; the target indicator was achieved - separation of 5 pieces of spent fuel assemblies in one shift, as well as an ambitious indicator - separation of 6 pieces of spent fuel assemblies in one work shift.

As part of the optimization of procurement activities, an information system for preparing applications for the purchase of goods/works/services was put into operation. This project took first place in the Rosatom RPS project competition in the category “best project to optimize office processes (de-bureaucratization).” Author of the work - RHead of the group of new equipment and technology RPSAlexander Melitonov.

2015:

“Optimization of the LRW processing process.” Targets achieved:

The processing time of 90 m 3 of liquid radioactive waste was reduced by 10%;
- labor costs for processing 90 m 3 of liquid radioactive waste were reduced by 60%.

“Optimization of the process of nuclear fuel reloading of reactors of OK-900, KLT-40, KLT-40M types using reloading equipment of the 1314 complex.” Targets achieved:

The time spent on reloading nuclear fuel was reduced by 10% (by 4 days).

2016:

- “Implementation of the 5C system at the special section for the repair of ship nuclear power plants and automatic control units (RTK 6 span, western side and 7 span)”, as a result of the implementation of this project, a complete modernization of the repair section for nuclear power plants and automatic control units was carried out. The equipment necessary to carry out repairs of special equipment and special fittings of nuclear icebreakers and nuclear service vessels was purchased and installed in accordance with the developed arrangement scheme. Shelves, workbenches, and cabinets were also purchased and installed. As a result of the project implementation, 100% of workplaces were covered in accordance with the requirements of the 5C system;

- “Use of the CPS SRW container as a recyclable one for loading core casings and cores from reactor plants of nuclear ships,” which allowed saving, preliminary, more than 150,000 rubles;
“Reducing time spent in preparing information and documents for placement in the Unified Information System”, time spent was reduced by 69.8% from 5776 hours to 1746 hours for 572 contracts, which saved more than 1,500,000 rubles.

2017:

Rosatomflot has started training personnel on the RPS course under the guidance of the enterprise’s internal trainer, Alexander Melitonov. The Regulations on motivating employees for the development of Rosatom production are in force.

If you have a proposal aimed at increasing the efficiency of production processes and reducing wasted time, please contact the group of new equipment, technology and RPS - group leader Alexander Melitonov tel.: 55-33-01 (ext.: 6269), Leading specialist of the group Valery Romanov tel.: 55-33-01 (ext.: 6168).

For questions about registering for RPS training, please contact the HR department - training and development manager Elena Tkachenko, tel.: 55-33-59 (ext.: 7359).

The Engineering Division is one of the leaders in the implementation of RPS among the enterprises of the Rosatom State Corporation.

The Rosatom production system as a tool for increasing the efficiency of production processes has been successfully used in JSC ASE EC since 2009. In 2010, the company introduced a system of motivating employees for the implementation of RPS in their activities, in particular for submitting proposals for improvements (PIP).

Since 2016, the process of working with employee ideas at JSC ASE EC has been automated - an industry information system for employees to make proposals for improvements, “Idea Factory,” began operating. In 2016 alone, about 2,000 PRPs and CRPs (cost reduction proposals) were submitted with a total economic effect of about 9 billion rubles.

The introduction of a production system at nuclear power plant construction sites is aimed at increasing the controllability of the construction process according to uniform standards, reducing costs, eliminating losses, increasing safety and productivity. At the construction sites of the Belarusian NPP, Kursk NPP-2, Novovoronezh NPP-2, Rostov NPP and in all contractors involved in their construction, work is carried out strictly in accordance with 8 RPS standards of JSC ASE EC - a unique set of lean manufacturing standards created for the first time in the world. Since 2016, the implementation of RPS standards has begun at other foreign sites.

Production system tools are used not only on construction sites, but also to optimize office and business processes. Company managers open and successfully implement personal RPS projects aimed at optimizing operations. In particular, the use of RPS tools in daily work allowed the design and commercial units to achieve results that set an example for the entire nuclear industry.

Novovoronezh NPP-2: an exemplary site for the implementation of RPS

In 2015, the management of the State Corporation Rosatom assigned JSC ASE EC the task of creating an exemplary RPS site on the basis of the construction site of power unit 2 of NV NPP-2. As a result of the work done, the following were created:

· algorithm for implementing RPS in all contracting organizations;

· end-to-end training system;

· system for distributing and monitoring the implementation of RPS standards;

· transparent and clearly structured system for visualizing the progress of the construction;

· exemplary warehouse facilities;

· comfortable construction site and exemplary territory;

· reference areas of labor culture, production life, organization and management of production, etc.;

· the system of planning and control of work execution has been optimized.

As a result of the work done, in May 2016, the Rosatom State Corporation commission awarded the site exemplary status.

The General Director of the State Corporation Rosatom made a decision to extend the experience of NV NPP-2 to all construction projects in the industry.

Process Factory

“Process Factory” is a unique form of training that simulates real work using RPS tools carried out on a construction site. Participants time the total cycle time when assembling formwork elements, during observations they determine losses, identify causes, exchange their experience in using production system tools, discuss proposals for improving the formwork assembly process and implement them to improve the time and economic performance of the process.

Transfer of knowledge

RPS specialists of JSC ASE EC provide training in RPS standards and tools of the Rosatom production system to employees of both the company itself and contractors. All training is carried out in accordance with the license of the Ministry of Education.

In accordance with the instructions of the General Director of the State Corporation Rosatom, in 2016, a seminar “Implementation of RPS Engineering Standards” was developed to train all industry organizations on the basis of the reference power unit 2 of NV NPP-2. The purpose of this seminar is to obtain knowledge and skills in building an effective management system at an enterprise, mastering techniques for reducing all types of losses and costs in production.

We thank the editors of the magazine "REA" (Rosenergoatom Concern) for providing this material.

When setting the task, Andrei Petrov emphasized that we need changes that give a real economic effect and have a direct impact on production. This decision was based on the positive experience of the Smolensk and Balakovo NPPs, which began implementing RPS back in 2007, and at the end of 2015 received the status of “Enterprise - RPS Leader” at the industry level.

The implementation of production (or business) systems has become widespread in Russia in recent years. Companies that want to win the competition need to keep up with the times, or better yet, be “one step ahead.” Lean manufacturing is a philosophy of doing business and management. Those who have carefully studied the essence of lean technologies understand that they are the future of management, and the theory of lean production overturns the usual idea of ​​doing business. Realizing this, the Rosatom State Corporation has been actively implementing RPS at its enterprises since 2008.

When we launched the program to transform the Concern into an RPS division at the beginning of 2016, we understood that a functional vertical was needed, since without an effective management system it would be difficult to implement our plans. For this purpose, NPP directors identified active, proactive specialists, and the Concern management decided to create a department for RPS development and operational efficiency in the central office, the task of which was the overall coordination of RPS development in the division, methodological support for RPS divisions of NPPs and divisions of the Concern's central office .

Summing up the work of enterprises on the systemic implementation of RPS is carried out with the help of developmental partner inspections of the quality of system deployment (in short, we call them RPK), the teams of which involve highly qualified industry specialists.

RPK allow you to conduct diagnostics in the areas of RPS deployment, assess the level of development of the production system at the enterprise, identify development areas and best practices. Representatives of 18 enterprises participating in the RPS development program of the State Corporation Rosatom take part in the work of the RPPK at the industry level, and at the divisional level - employees of our leading enterprises, RPS divisions of nuclear power plants and the RPS development and operational efficiency department. In-person inspections take place twice a year.

In the middle of the year, an interim inspection takes place - “Previsit”, within the framework of which the current level of RPS development at the enterprise is assessed, problem areas are identified for prompt resolution of emerging problems, and recommendations are given for managing the deployment program. At the end of the year, the results of the program implementation for the entire year are summed up. The RPK team gives an opinion on the achievement of indicators in all areas.

Before each visit of inspectors, the enterprise conducts a self-assessment of the implementation of all RPS deployment indicators in five areas: “Decomposition of goals”, “RPS flows”, “Project and change management”, “Training”, “Motivation”.

At mid-year, indicator performance levels varied at each station. The RPK teams made recommendations for each of the areas, on the basis of which the stations developed action plans to achieve indicators, which were fully implemented by the final RPK, which made it possible to achieve such results.

However, since one of the principles of the RPS is continuous improvement, based on the results of the final inspections, the stations received new recommendations from experts, which will form the basis for plans for the further development of the Production System at the sites.

Based on the results of the work of the divisional-level RPK, seven nuclear power plants and the central office of the Concern, adopting the experience of Smolensk and Balakovo NPPs on the principle of “leaders teach leaders”, under the leadership and with the help of the RPS Development Department, are assigned the status “RPS-enterprise”. Based on the results of the industry-wide RPK, the Balakovo and Smolensk NPPs should be confirmed, and the Leningrad NPP should receive the status of “Enterprise - Leader of the RPS”. Confirmation and receipt of this status will take place at the beginning of 2017 based on the results of financial reporting.

The audits also identified best practices that will be recommended for implementation at other sites. For example, at the Kola NPP, the best practices were recognized as: organizing the procedure for the safe operation of lifting mechanisms, using industrial polyethylene landing ladders, introducing workplace standards according to the 5C system at production sites. At the Kalinin NPP, the use of the “Memo for working with polyurethane foam”, the development and implementation of standards for cleaning and inspection of equipment in production areas of the centralized repair shop with visualization were noted.

One of the tasks of the outgoing year set by Rosatom State Corporation for the division is to reduce the turnover of production inventories of the Electric Power Division (in terms of revenue) by 27%. Completing this task would have been impossible without the opening of a personal RPS project for the General Director of the Concern and his deputies to reduce inventories.

The analysis carried out within the framework of the RPS project showed that this can be done through:

• bringing production inventories for REN to standard levels;
• development and approval of standards for the availability of fuel assemblies in the operational reserve;
• developing inventory reduction schedules for each area;
• procurement of materials and equipment taking into account the analysis of warehouse stocks;
• efficient delivery of materials and equipment (just-in-time delivery) and other activities.

The information center of the General Director of the Concern organized monitoring to reduce the turnover of current inventories. The dynamics of all current reserves of nuclear power plants and subsidiaries is monitored monthly. In the event of a deviation from the forecast reduction in inventories, those responsible for the areas report at which enterprise, in which direction the deviation occurred and what measures were taken.

However, unscheduled shutdowns at Smolensk, Kalinin, Rostov NPPs and Novovoronezh NPP-2 complicated the task. Due to the fact that the current production reserves consist of 75% of fresh nuclear fuel (FNF) and core components (KAZ), due to unscheduled shutdowns of power units, there was an incomplete predicted burnup of the fuel located in the core, and, as a result, this was not written off fuel from the balance sheet of the enterprise.

Participation in industry competitions led to a clear understanding of the need to plan activities, coordinate the timing of the opening and implementation of RPS projects in the division

After completion of the project, it will be necessary to analyze the nomenclature, quantity of inventories and the formed minimum reserve in the production cycle (from major repairs to major overhauls), and then make a decision on further work with inventories and the establishment of their standards.

The main task of RPS is to search for and eliminate losses, as well as solve problems that arise in various life processes of enterprises. Learning to see losses is the task of every employee. Unfortunately, we get so used to reality that we no longer notice the problems that are nearby. RPS tools such as value stream mapping and production control and analysis help us learn to see our processes from the point of view of lean production and notice losses. To learn how to use them, this year each manager was given the task of implementing two RPS projects. RPS project is a project aimed at optimizing the process.

If the solution to the identified problem is obvious, then any of us can submit a proposal for improvement (PIP). This work is now being carried out at all enterprises in the industry, and for the sixth time the Rosatom State Corporation has held an industry competition for PPU and RPS projects. Our division has taken part in it several times. The competition is held in three stages. At the first, nuclear power plants and subsidiaries of the Concern determined the best PPU and RPS projects implemented in 2016. Selected proposals and projects were submitted for participation in the second stage, which was held at the division level. The selection committee reviewed more than 80 works from nuclear power plants, as well as from JSC Atomenergoremont, JSC Atomtekhenergo and other organizations of the division, selecting the most effective PPU and RPS projects from them. Thus, we entered the third stage of the industry competition with 12 PPU and 12 RPS projects.

The best RPS and PPU projects of 2016 (with economic effect)

The selection of winners from the projects and proposals selected for the State Corporation took place within the framework of the annual forum “AKP Leaders”. Each of the applicants was given the opportunity to personally present the implemented improvements. As a result, one of the winners of the PPU competition was Denis Romanovich Vikhasty, a repair engineer at the Kursk NPP. His proposal - “Development of a plug for repairing the lower path of the technological channel (TC) sb.26”, makes it possible to cut off the TC from the PVC without carrying out work on dismantling the clips sb.25-33r.

The program for transforming the Electric Power Division into the RPS division in 2017 provides for the systematic deployment of the Rosatom Production System not only at NPPs, but also in all other branches and subsidiaries of the Concern, which have yet to go through the process of learning the principles and tools of RPS. Serious assistance in this will be provided by NPP employees who have been certified by the ANO Rosatom Corporate Academy as RPS trainers.

An important task for the next year is the implementation of the plan approved by the General Director of the State Corporation Rosatom A.E. Likhachev in December 2016, a roadmap for the implementation of RPS engineering standards at Rosatom facilities under construction.

Results of the RPPC at seven nuclear power plants

Already this year, based on the positive experience of JSC ASE EC (power unit No. 2 of NVNPP-2 is recognized by the State Corporation Rosatom as an exemplary RPS unit), as well as focusing on the upcoming key event of 2017 - the physical start-up of power unit No. 1 of the Leningrad NPP - 2, The Concern, together with the general contractor, developed a Joint Action Plan for the implementation of RPS during the construction of power units No. 1 and 2 of the Leningrad NPP-2 and an Action Plan for the creation of a unified information database for the customer, general contractor and designer. As part of the implementation of these plans, a unified information database was deployed on the servers of the Leningrad NPP and JSC Concern Titan-2, training was organized and conducted for employees of the Leningrad NPP-2 and contractors headed by the general contractor in the basic RPS course, developed on the basis of the standards of JSC IK “ASE” RPS standards for management of construction and installation works, production control and analysis, application of the 5C system on a construction site, “Chain of Help” and “Proposals for Improvement” standards. Adapted methodological recommendations on motivating employees involved in the implementation of the RPS were transferred to the general contractor for use.

Another serious task for next year is to look at the processes “New Products”, “R&D and Innovation”, “Quality” from the perspective of RPS in order to optimize them and determine the possibilities and ways of implementing inter-industry and inter-divisional RPS projects.

Achieving the ambitious goals set for the division for the systematic deployment of RPS is impossible without involving all personnel in the philosophy of leanness and the use of production system tools. Let me remind you that RPS is a lean manufacturing culture and a system of continuous process improvement to ensure a competitive advantage at the global level.

Culture is a set of codes that prescribe a person a certain behavior with his inherent experiences and thoughts, exerting a managerial influence on him. RPS is a new culture of production, work organization and workplaces. It will take a lot of time to instill it, and therefore we assign a separate role in the formation of this culture to the involvement, training and motivation of staff. Only together we can achieve results. When planning work on engagement in the RPS, we need to develop a positive attitude towards the Production System.

At the RPS Leaders forum this year, the results of a study of attitudes towards the Rosatom Production System at the enterprises of the State Corporation were presented, in which employees of our division’s enterprises also took part. The attitude towards RPS is changing dramatically at enterprises where the system has been implemented for several years now.

A positive attitude towards RPS requires an engaging implementation style. A high level of reputation is typical for enterprises where managers are actively involved in implementation: they personally explain and demonstrate by example. The presence of RPS leaders who demonstrate the effective tools of the system and clearly and convincingly explain the need for its implementation is an important factor influencing the high reputation of the RPS. Education and “cultivation” of such employees should be a priority for divisional enterprise managers at all levels.

Typical reputation of RPS at different stages of implementation (results of a qualitative study; illustrated using drawings collected during the study)

A lot of work on the development of the RPS has been done this year, and even more remains to be done next year. I would like to wish our leaders of 2015 - Smolensk and Balakovo NPPs - to successfully confirm their title, and Leningrad NPP - to receive it at the industry level. Nuclear power plants, participants in the 2016 transformation program, who have achieved the target indicators of the RPS enterprise, must reach a new level and become RPS leaders. And to the subsidiaries and branches (not NPPs), participants in the 2017 transformation program, I wish the successful implementation of RPS development plans using the experience of the Concern’s nuclear power plants.

The Rosatom Production System (RPS) is a lean manufacturing culture and a system of continuous process improvement to ensure a global competitive advantage.

The RPS is based on five principles that encourage employees to be attentive to the customer’s requirements (not only in relation to the final consumer, but also to the consumer site, consumer workshop and even the subsequent operator); solve problems where they arise; build quality into the process, do not produce defects; identify and eliminate any losses (excess inventory, interoperational backlogs, downtime, unnecessary movements, etc.); be an example for colleagues.

These principles were formulated on the basis of the best examples of domestic and foreign experience, in particular, the system of scientific organization of labor, production and management (NOTPiU) of the Ministry of Medium Engineering of the USSR and the Toyota Production System of the Japanese automobile company Toyota. The Rosatom production system is aimed at achieving the strategic goals of the State Corporation, and industry RPS projects are aimed at increasing productivity, reducing costs and improving product quality. Knowledge and ability to use RPS tools is a prerequisite for professional and career growth of nuclear industry employees.

At the beginning of 2015, it was decided to apply a systematic approach to the deployment of RPS at enterprises: decomposition of goals to the level of the site manager, optimization of the production of the enterprise’s main products (production flows), implementation of RPS projects, training and motivation of employees. By 2017, the system deployment contour grew from 10 to 23 RPS enterprises. By 2020 there will be about 30 of them, their products will form about 80% of Rosatom’s total cost.

According to the concept of development of the Rosatom Production System, all enterprises where the system is being comprehensively deployed are divided into three levels: “PSR Leader”, “PSR Candidate” and “PSR Reserve”. Enterprises - “PSR Leaders” receive a package of privileges (visits of a business coach to the enterprise, the opportunity for employees to travel to exchange experience at foreign and Russian leading enterprises, family vouchers, certificates for training at the Rosatom Corporate Academy, participation in the “Workspace Design” project and etc.).

Currently, the implementation of RPS at industry enterprises has already made it possible to achieve significant savings, reduce inventories in warehouses and reduce the timing of scheduled preventive maintenance at Russian nuclear power plants.

The status of the Rosatom Production System has been finally determined - it has been recognized as a culture of continuous improvement. How to increase the level of RPS culture in the industry, what role managers play in this process and what are the prospects for lean production were discussed at the RPS Leaders forum.
The RPS Leaders forum is a discussion platform for lean manufacturing professionals. They don’t agitate here, they don’t explain the principles of the production system, they don’t tell how to use the tools - in general, they don’t chew on the methodology. Participants in competitions for RPS projects and PPU, employees of RPS departments, methodologists, heads of RPS enterprises, activists of change support teams - about 200 people in total - gather once a year to discuss strategy, goals and objectives. It was on this site that several years ago they decided to systematically deploy RPS.

RCC

Until recently, there was no consensus in the industry about what RPS is - a system or a culture. This year, everyone seems to agree that RPS is more than just a collection of projects and tools to improve the manufacturing process. “The AKP is, of course, culture. That legendary Hayashi (Nampachi Hayashi is a former vice-president of Toyota, a consultant on lean manufacturing - “SR”), who comes and regularly scolds us, for me is a symbol not so much of specific practices, how to organize stocks, how to organize chains, but of the spirit and belief that there is no end to improvements,” said Rosatom General Director Alexey Likhachev.
The meaning of the concept of AKP culture was explained in simple words by First Deputy General Director for Operations Management Alexander Lokshin: “Culture is a set of rules, norms of behavior, patterns that are considered the norm. A cultured person is one for whom deviation from such norms causes irritation and who has a need to comply with these norms. The AKP culture is a need to do well. From my point of view, it is impossible to force someone to achieve this. When we can create a culture where continuous improvement becomes a requirement for everyone, we will achieve our goals.” Alexander Lokshin even suggested changing the abbreviation PSR to PKR - “Rosatom Production Culture”.
For several years now, participants in the AKP movement have been puzzling over how to increase involvement in the AKP, what needs to be done so that everyone believes in it. Here are the most popular answers from forum participants: be patient and wait for the results of the RPS deployment, explain, convince; train immediately upon hiring, to do this, attract authoritative people. The logic of the answers is clear: creating an RPS culture in the industry is not a quick task. A special place is given to the head of the enterprise - he must become a role model. Every leader must be a mentor.


Nikolai Solomon, First Deputy General Director for Corporate Functions and Chief Financial Officer of Rosatom, also expressed his opinion on how to change the culture: “We need to clearly show what we praise and scold for, and who we promote.” At the same time, you need to not just declare these principles, but follow them, otherwise people won’t believe you. Nikolai Solomon noted that through the application of the principles and tools of the RPS, the values ​​of the state corporation are manifested and cultivated. The forum participants agreed that the main focus for the next year is creating exemplary flows in production, office and engineering, educating and developing employees, and building long-term relationships with suppliers.

The AKP protects the thrifty

RPS Development Director Sergei Obozov briefly spoke about the progress of the federal project “Lean Clinic”, in which Rosatom RPS specialists are participating: “Replication is being carried out in 23 regions. There are no longer two clinics, as in the pilot projects, but in some places there are three, in others there are four, in others there are five. We provide basic training. We proposed that the Ministry of Health create its own project office for RPS.”
The activities of the AKP office were highly appreciated by the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. Further more. The authorities have attracted Rosatom as a general partner to work on a program, which is being implemented under the leadership of the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Maxim Oreshkin, to increase labor productivity in industry and construction.
“We are taking two budget-generating enterprises in each pilot region. Our main condition was “not a single person on the street,” so we selected factories whose production volume should increase sharply in 2018. The second condition is that the owners and management really want to improve results. We will show them a master class on how to make an increased volume with the same number of personnel,” Sergei Obozov shared his plans.
In this project, interaction will be structured differently than in the Lean Clinic. Rosatom invites students to join us. Sergei Obozov calculates: “Seven regions, two factories each - 14 factories, we are ready to accept 28 people into our teams to work on Rosatom’s exemplary flows.” Somewhere before mid-December, I think, we will complete these teams, and from January 10, 2018, we are waiting for them at our factories.” The program will be implemented in Tyumen, Tula, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm and Samara regions, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan.
The head of the Rosatom Academy, Yulia Uzhakina, added that nuclear closed cities can become lean cities. “The mayor of Zarechny is starting to do something, Ozersk is joining. We need to help them understand this matter: how it’s done, what examples there are,” she said.
As Nikolai Solomon noted, Rosatom’s best practices need to be presented in a very simple and understandable form so that people who have never heard of RPS become interested in this system. “We are discussing with the Ministry of Economy and VEB the creation of a platform in which these cases will be publicly available,” he noted.
“Next year is a year of expanding our practice; our experience will be replicated. But we ourselves must not forget to continue to replicate it within the industry - for this it is necessary that each RPS director, RPS leader has two or three sponsored directors,” concluded Alexey Likhachev.

AKP as a way of thinking

Nikolai Kmitto
Chief engineer of the directorate at Kursk NPP, branch of NIKIMT-Atomstroy
- An unfavorable situation arose during construction and installation work during the construction of a complex for processing radioactive waste at the Kursk NPP: at the time the installation of metal structures began, the lag behind the schedule was 90 days. We needed to eliminate this backlog at all costs. According to the schedule, the installation and application of a fire-retardant coating on the load-bearing metal structures of the storage frame takes 240 days, and we had to finish it in 150. According to the classical scheme, work at height is provided, the protective coating is applied to already installed metal structures - in some places it turned out to be unpainted. Plus, gusts of wind and other adverse weather conditions led to excessive consumption of the fire retardant when spraying.
RPS tools and common sense helped us cope with the task. We parallelized the processes of installation and coating, and began to apply the composition during the enlarged assembly in the workshop, at the construction site - only on unpainted areas and places where elements were welded. The schedule gap was eliminated. We saved on scaffolding and increased safety, as we practically eliminated work at height. In addition, the quality of the applied coating has improved due to dust removal and degreasing of metal structures in workshop conditions. It became possible to control the thickness of the coating, which reduced material consumption. Previously, the composition was applied in 20 minutes, now it takes five. The economic effect of the proposal amounted to more than 13 million rubles. But the main thing is that this solution can be replicated to other capital construction projects.
RPS for us is a production necessity. The desire to use RPS tools must come from within. Instilling a culture of lean work ethic is difficult. I believe that a little time will pass and every employee will understand that RPS is a science that explains how a culture of continuous improvement works.

Vladimir Rogozhin
Advisor to the General Director for long-term production planning, OKBM im. Afrikantova
- We have prepared a project to optimize document flow in the manufacture of a pipe system for ship reactor plants, which is assembled from modules. The goal is to reduce the production time of pipe systems from 494 to 442 days. Before you begin assembling the module, you need to create a set of parts and prepare a package of relevant documents, and complete the documentation after delivery of the finished product.
We have set ourselves a goal - to reduce the time required to complete documents when manufacturing a module from 20 to five days. With the help of barcodes, processes were automated: if previously documents were prepared by sampling, an inventory was made, which took up to 90 minutes, but now the entire package is formed by simply scanning barcodes in just a minute. Labor productivity increased by 30%, the economic effect - 6.4 million rubles per year. At the beginning of the year, we launched two more projects aimed at optimizing document flow. By the end of the year, we will reduce the time it takes to create a package of documents for the production of modules to three days and reduce the volume of documentation by almost half.
I have been involved in ASR since 2009. At first, many of us were skeptical about the AKP; no one understood why it was needed. I myself did not immediately understand that this was an effective tool. But after several successfully implemented projects, people got used to it and started using it. Today we can say that a culture of continuous improvement has taken root at OKBM. I am motivated to use RPS by a clear methodology, a systematic approach to identifying inconsistencies, deviations and eliminating them with proven tools.

Sergey Trofimov
Repairman, UEHK
- Since 2015, about 500 of my PPUs have been sold. This year, in our workshop, we prepared an improvement proposal for reusing the lubricant, since it did not lose its properties. The amount turned out to be small, only 70 thousand rubles. But it's still a saving. The use of RPS is motivated by constant improvement of one's work. I have been working at UEIP for 25 years and have been systematically engaged in innovation even before the introduction of RPS. When the production system began to be actively implemented in our country in 2012, it became easier to draw up your proposals.
The RPS culture can only be promoted through training, explanation of the principles and advantages of the systems approach. And only by personal example, and not as an order or as an obligation. I instilled a culture of continuous improvement in my brother. This year in our workshop he took second place in the supply of polyurethane foam after me, he has about 70 polyurethane foam. People are already starting to look up to him.
When you get used to working in a new way, you see what else can be optimized. Whenever possible, I try to help colleagues from other areas.
Sergey Mikheev*
Engineer 1st category, ASE
- The project is aimed at reducing the cost of forming an artificial foundation for the hydraulic structures of Kursk NPP-2. Having assessed the soil replacement scheme for the foundation foundations, our team proposed replacing the material adopted in the project, a sand-gravel mixture, with sand. The fact is that in the Kursk region there are no problems with the delivery of sand, but the sand and gravel mixture would have to be transported from other regions. Having changed the configuration and assessed how efficiently it would be possible to construct an artificial foundation from the point of view of organizing construction, we recalculated the strength. We concluded that our solution meets all requirements. The total economic effect from the implementation of the proposal amounted to 275 million rubles.

Evgeniy Ratz*
Engineer 2nd category, ASE
- The idea of ​​soil replacement arose between Sergei Mikheev and me during the design process for the construction of Kursk NPP-2. We asked ourselves why this particular solution was chosen and whether it could be optimized. In our work, we actively use RPS tools. With their help, you can solve any issue, including arguing for cost reduction to designers, who are often not ready for criticism and consider their solutions optimal. Any project can always be optimized if there is a desire. There are no perfect projects.

Andrey Salnikov
Installer of building structures, "RosSEM"
- We needed to install 118 eight-meter columns weighing 300 kg each at the zero level of the reactor compartment of the Belarusian NPP. These columns support the reactor process equipment. Previously, we fed columns into an opening with a diameter of 1 m from the eighth mark, then moved them in a horizontal position using improvised means to the installation site, lifted them, secured them, and built scaffolding. The mounting loop for fixing the column had to be cleaned, welded, then the column was mounted - this is work at height, it is inconvenient. Then take everything apart and repeat 117 times.
Therefore, we developed and implemented a device for vertical movement of columns - we got a star-shaped cart on which the column was fixed. Three installers calmly roll a trolley with a load to the installation site. We significantly accelerated the process: if we installed all the columns in the old way on the first block in 59 days, then on the second block we completed it in 18 days. It would seem like a simple cart, but the effect is colossal.
This is not my first project. Laziness is the engine of progress, and I’m probably a big lazy person. When I see a problem, I immediately think about how to solve it or how to simplify the process. Everyone helped, I couldn’t have done anything alone. The economic effect amounted to about 780 thousand rubles. The main thing is that the experience will be replicated for other construction of units under the NPP-2006 project. I have a lot of developments, and I plan to implement them at the next construction sites.
We began to implement the production system at the end of 2014 at the Belarusian NPP. I immediately joined because it is a clear working tool that makes work easier, saves resources and develops a person. Today it is already a culture of continuous improvement.

Sergey Sachkov
Head of the production site for fuel rods and fuel assemblies of VVER-440, MSZ
- When I worked at another site, we created a device that allows us to use scales to determine the number of technological tips removed when assembling a bundle of fuel elements for RBMK reactors. During the assembly process of the bundle, fuel rods are inserted into the cells of the frame in three pieces. To ensure that they fit strictly in the center and with minimal friction, technological tips are used - they are put on the fuel rod before assembly, and after assembly they are automatically removed. The assembler monitored whether all the tips were removed. Since three fuel rods are inserted into the frame in 100 seconds, the mechanic waited all this time instead of starting to prepare the next bundle, then counted the tips and only then gave a signal to continue the operation. With such an organization of labor, in order to assemble 30 bundles per shift, two mechanics had to work at two assembly stands.
We proposed to determine the number of tips removed by weight. The scale accurately determines whether all tips have been removed and gives a signal to continue working. The mechanic does not need to be present all the time next to the beam assembly stand and count the tips; at this time he can assemble the frame of the next beam. As a result, the same amount of work can be done by one mechanic at one stand. The freed-up assembly fitter became a production planning engineer.
I think this practice can be replicated for other types of fuel. I am interested in self-development and benefiting the company. Therefore, I do not divide my activities into RPS and job responsibilities. For me this is a working tool. At first, people perceived the AKP negatively, but now I see that attitudes are changing. Previously, they thought that it was imposed, but now they see how I implement my ideas, see the result and get involved. A good example is contagious.