By Rohan Falconer
Getting on board with lean manufacturing is no easy task, but the initiative will soon deliver rewards to your business. Fostering its growth and filtering through all levels of the organization will definitely pay off in the long run.
Many of our organizations are so busy getting ‘work’ done, dealing with problems, fires and urgencies, meeting goals and objectives, and initiating business strategies, that they do not take or have the time to even consider ‘looking’ for ways to minimize waste.
We all should pause and take a minute to consider how manufacturing principles, rules, tools and thinking can help us eliminating waste. Getting to root-causes make problem-solving easier and more permanent! This process is on-going and will reveal things about your business that you did not even know at all. You might be surprised by what you find, unearth and reveal when using lean manufacturing thinking and tools.
Looking at processes to see how to best eliminate the different forms of MUDA or waste, requires new, counterintuitive thinking at times, a true non-traditionalist point of view. Here is an amazing truth (and in my opinion another key to really understanding the power and potential of lean manufacturing) for business, regardless of their size, industry, challenges and the like: wedo not have that process-focus automatically. We have to discover, hone, harness, develop and refine it as we go along.
See value through the eyes and requirements of your customers and take a real, long hard look at what and how you are doing things to get them what they need and want.
Lean manufacturing Benefits
Lean manufacturing processes involves some real positive, productive changes in businesses that will have a measurable impact on the bottom line. Benefits of using this system could include:
· Reduced lead time, wait time and cycle time
· Liberated capital
· Increased profit margins
· Increased productivity
· Improved product quality
· Just-in-time, affordable, streamlined, cost-efficient processes, products and services
· Improved on-time shipments
· Customer satisfaction and loyalty
· Employee retention
As a business, regardless of the scope, range, condition, small, large, start-up, growing or expanding, improvement, quality and time, cost and waste all matter. Lean manufacturing affords you the opportunity to ensure your business grows stronger, quicker, consistently, getting higher value and improving competitiveness. Effectively positioning yourself above the masses and mediocrity.
Look for opportunities to improve it and cut down on cost, waste and expenses, and remember – keep it simple, I wish you all the best on your lean manufacturing journey. The ability to recognize and understand the systems that create results is not a natural ability.
Why is Lean Manufacturing or thinking so prevalent in the modern current economies of scale? To remain competitive, agile and the lowest cost producers, providers and streamlined business, getting rid of waste and being highly, consistently and sustainable is key for survival and thriving in this new economy.