Lean Workforce Impacts

Productivity on the factory floor driven by robotics, automation and adoption of lean manufacturing techniques wipes out jobs. http://bit.ly/dAnwdF

Lean Clean Supply Footprint

McNeil-PPC integrates lean and clean to drive efficiency and sustainability. ...

... "teamed up with the Green Suppliers Network to explore opportunities for helping its suppliers improve product quality and to reduce the environmental footprint of its supply chain through the Network's hallmark—the Lean and Clean Advantage. McNeil first began investigating lean manufacturing concepts after the facility was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in late 2006. " ...

Via Green Suppliers Nework: http://bit.ly/a9eQUs

Lean Implementation Time Reduction

The lean transformation focuses on the creation of additional customer value through eliminating waste and reducing cycle times. ...

... "Wasted time can be difficult to identify, so many companies specifically focus on reducing time as a key driver of Lean Implementation; agility and Lean go hand in hand. " ...

Via Cambridge Network: Quality insights

Lean Culture Shift

Local manufacturers benefit from the lean implementation and training assistance at Polk State College in Florida. ...

... "The intent of the grant is seed money to start a cultural shift to a LEAN manufacturing culture, said Steve Kullberg, director of operations at Florida's Natural. " ...

Via The Ledger: LEAN Program

Lean Pull Siimulation

Sustainable Lean Transformation

Local chapter of manufacturing association will host a lean transformation workshop on December 10. ...

... "The session, called Creating a Sustainable Lean Transformation, will run from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Crowne Plaza Williamsburg at Fort Magruder, 6945 Pocahontas Trail. " ...

Via Newport News Daily Press: Manufacturing workshop

Lean Hospital Targets End-to-End Processes

Integrated, end-to-end processes are targeted at hospital lean implementation. ...

... "Lean, says Dan, begins with engaging the staff in improving work, liberating the potential to take action. But, he warns, point improvements are hard to sustain without an end-to-end perspective and management systems to support them. "

Via Running a hospital: Dan Jones

Lean Simulations in Workshops

Hands-on exercises and simulations are the best way to learn lean techniques and their applications. Lean can be fun. ...

Lean Six Sigma Increases Product Velocity

Northwire CEO Katina Kravik is committed to sustaining her family legacy by satisfying customers using DFSS and lean techniques to accelerate the development of new products. Employee cross-training is the rule, not the exception. And, the company culture actively empowers the workforce. Northwire Culture: "The company culture is interactive and possesses a unique working environment where employees are actively involved in reducing costs, improving speed to market and continually advancing cable performance. "
...

... "We will continue to invest heavily in our valued employees in the areas of professional development including Design for Six Sigma, project management and Lean. These platforms will enable us to add more value to our customers, and innovate a wider and deeper breadth of product offerings with increased velocity. " ...

Via Northwire Inc.: Chief executive officer

Lean Startup Methods Integrates Agile Lean and Web2.0

Startup companies can build on a foundation of lean instead of adopting lean manufacturing principles much later in its lifecycle. This approach for startups integrates practices from a number of methodologies. ...

... "The Lean Startup is a practical approach for creating and managing a new breed of company that excels in low-cost experimentation, rapid iteration, and true customer insight. It uses principles of agile software development, open source and web 2.0, and lean manufacturing to guide the creation of technology businesses that create disruptive innovation. " ...

Via Arctic Startup: Startup Methodology

Air Product Continuous Improvement Executive Position

Air Products places executive level attention on continuous improvement, which includes lean and Six Sigma activities throughout the company. ...

... "Alexander W. Masetti has been appointed vice president, Continuous Improvement, responsible for expanding and institutionalizing Air Products’ overall continuous improvement activity, including capabilities such as Six Sigma and Lean. Masetti joined Air Products in 1981 as an engineer in the company’s Career Development Program and subsequently held management positions within the Process Gas Division. " ...

Via Air Products: Executive Change

Lean Optimization Event

September 2 Lean event planned ...

... "Optimizing Your Investment In Lean: Presented by the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center Inc., The Council of Industry of Southeastern New York, and The Tappan Zee Chapter of APICS. Featured speaker Dr. Alan G. Robinson from the University of Massachusetts, Isenberg School of Management will be discussing strategic issues surrounding lean manufacturing and innovation. " ...

Via Poughkeepsie Journal: Business calendar

Intro to Lean Six Sigma with Hands On Lego Simulation

Layers Add Time and Waste

Over-focusing on cost controls can reverse the improvements achieved by lean methodology, increasing response time to market event and trends and adding management effort to simple processes. A balanced hand is needed. ...

... "New layers of managerial waste and delays may eat up the apparent savings in cost reduction in time to market. " ...

Via tompeters!: Turning the Corner

Lean 5S Sorting in the Workplace

Lean Kaizen Blitz

Company embraces lean and kaizen principles with education and action ... putting their learning into play with a first wave of opportunities from the kaizen blitz event. ...

... "Through exhaustive effort, working 10 or more hours every day, 50 areas of opportunity were documented and prioritized by their level of impact and difficulty to implement. " ...

Via American Printer: Business Stationary

Enterprise Lean Initiatives

JDA Software sees lean thinking as a model for transformation of the manufacturing enterprise and shares next-generation supply chain strategies to position for success. ...

... "Commit to Lean on an Enterprise-wide Basis: The primary goals of traditional lean manufacturing – drive out inefficiencies, reduce costs and waste, increase value and decrease variability – remain the same today. Only now these goals need to be embraced across the extended enterprise – both internally and externally with supply chain partners. In today’s dynamic business environment, virtually all operation processes are interrelated and disruptions along the extended supply chain need to be responded to quickly and in real-time. Confining lean to a single manufacturing facility or production area is not sufficient. Lean initiatives cannot work if done in isolation because changes made in siloed functional areas, such as manufacturing, distribution or transportation – or even at the local, regional or country level – can have unintended consequences that can lead to problems or increased costs in other areas. The most effective lean initiatives focus on the extended supply chain. For this reason, companies are deploying advanced modeling tools that can consider all costs and provide optimized strategies across a comprehensive supply chain network of distribution centers, plants, contract manufacturing partners, sourcing options and logistical lanes. " ...

Via JDA Software: Supply Chain Strategies to Improve Business Performance

ReThink Lean to Grow Profitably

While we have embraced lean, our implementation may have missed the true beneficiary of our lean efforts: the customer. In order to be successful, any business strategies for profitable growth should leverage the power of the workforce. ...

... "Lean has become more of displaying numbers, reorganizing the floor and such, but still most businesses shrink as there is little focus on customers and not much impact on growth. " ...

Via Quality Magazine: Manufacturing Excellence

Lean Office

Lean training for office processes on March 10 ...

... "Schenck Business Solutions will be hosting a lean office boot camp for businesses, nonprofits and government organizations. " ...

Via Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Business

Lean Is Easy to Grasp

While the concept of lean is easy to grasp, implementing it is a journey. Industry has yet to fully leverage its benefits. ...

... "At its most fundamental level, a lean approach to manufacturing entails just what you'd expect: stripping away the excess. Going lean means cutting costs and boosting efficiency at every stage of the manufacturing process. " ...

Via DC Velocity: Lean up your act

Lean Value Stream Mapping Software

Lean Manufacturing Garners Investment Focus

Investment in attracting manufacturing businesses focuses on firms practicing lean strategies, which represent a shift to greater value for the stakeholders. ...

... "Our efforts and our energy is put toward higher value, latest methods, lean manufacturing, Sheffler said. Advanced manufacturing jobs tend to require higher skill sets, pay more and use costly automated equipment, which increases investment. " ...

Via Richmond Times-Dispatch: Recruiting Business

Cost of Quality Moves Up the Value Stream

Expect manufacturers to put pressure on their suppliers to eliminate defects throughout the value stream in order to achieve Six Sigma quality levels. ...

... "Manufacturers applying Six Sigma and Lean are eager to remove waste completely from their value streams, which includes avoiding the production of defective materials in the first place, states John Fishell, director of product management ... " ...

Via Purchasing: Quality

Vectron Six Sigma Manufacturing

Vectron practices lean and Six Sigma to improve its manufacturing process and product quality. In doing so, it embraces the methodology and creates a enterprise variant that works in its culture. ...

... "The facility has adopted lean manufacturing practices such as Kaizen and Six Sigma methods, all with an eye toward continuous facility and product improvement. The company follows a 16-point plan that has cut manufacturing cycle times in half compared to earlier attempts to reduce overall production times. " ...

Via Vectron: Frequency Control

Six Sigma Spreads

Six Sigma and lean are spreading to non-traditional industries, such as aviation, pharma, and financials. ...

... "Finally, six sigma is also making gains in financial services however the focus here is on revenue enhancing projects and not just cost reduction initiatives ... " ...

Via The Manufacturer: Lean Six Sigma

Lean Assessment Tool

Ultriva offers assessment tool that uses historical practices to understand current performance and opportunities for improvement. ...

... "The Lean Assessment Tool lets users upload hundreds of parts histories and then graphically visualize their current replenishment patterns along with future potential opportunities. Ultriva’s patent-pending consumption-driven replenishment algorithms allow users to perform what if simulations in real time. " ...

Via Ultriva: Assessment Tool

Manufacturing Capacity Increase through Lean Program

Electronics manufacturer uses lean manufacturing to drive capacity improvements, using the methodology and tools. ...

... "The Leicester-based power resistor manufacturer Cressall Resistors is claiming that a lean manufacturing programme has helped increase turnover by 100 percent in 18 months ... " ...

Via Works Management: Lean

IBM Lean Six Sigma is Green

IBM synthesizes lean principles into its energy efficiency services to create Green Sigma consulting. ...

... "IBM's Green Sigma consulting offering is based on Lean Six Sigma, a business strategy for carefully analyzing operations to improve overall efficiency, lower costs, increase quality, and add, change or eliminate activities and processes to improve overall performance. IBM's Green Sigma consulting offering is based on Lean Six Sigma, a business strategy for carefully analyzing operations to improve overall efficiency, lower costs, increase quality, and add, change or eliminate activities and processes to improve overall performance. " ...

Via IBM: A Measured Approach to Going Green: IBM Green Sigma Consulting Offering to Help Clients Reduce Energy and Water Usage

Toyota Production System in Healthcare

Learn about the application of lean principles and TPS in the healthcare industry. ...

... "The 2nd Annual Summit on Deploying the Toyota Production System & Lean Healthcare in Hospitals, When: Jun 25, 2008, Where: Hilton San Francisco, San Francisco, CA " ...

Via : Summit on Deploying the Toyota Production System in Hospitals

Lean Process Mobility for the Shop-Floor

Lean business processes integrated with mobility offer efficiencies on the shop floor for manufacturers. ...

... "While thousands of companies have used the tools of Lean such as Value Stream Mapping to re-engineer business process, rarely did those analyses well-consider the possibilities of mobile, connected workers. " ...

Via Supply Chain Digest: Mobility

Develop Lean Leaders

In Appleton, Wisconsin, the Lean Leadership Series starts in April. ...

... "The Lean Leadership Development Series is offered by the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) in cooperation with Fox Valley Technical College. WMEP experts will lead the sessions that meet from 8 a.m. until noon, Tuesdays, April 22 through May 20 at the D.J. Bordini Center, Fox Valley Technical College. " ...

Via Wisconsin Business: Lean Leadership Series

Lean Visual Management

5S principles and visual management ...

Lean Kaizen Techniques for Pharma

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a transformation where Six Sigma, lean, and kaizen methods can be used to instill the discipline necessary to achieve operational efficiencies and accelerate new product development. This article discusses techniques for blending the methodologies in the improvement process, such as the project charter and selection steps. ...

... "One approach is to integrate the chartering activity from the Six Sigma roadmap at the outset of the Kaizen blitz. The chartering exercise is crucial at the beginning of a Lean Kaizen in order to establish clear project success metrics, definition, expectations, communication, and milestones. " ...

Via Pharmaceutical Processing: Lean Kaizen

Lean Manufacturing Flow Simulation

Simulation of lean flow system. ...

Lean Dentistry

Local dentist uses lean techniques to streamline his office processes, delighting customers, and achieving recognition by the Shingo Prize. ...

... "For the dental office, this means small things - like arranging sterilization areas in a way that minimizes steps - as well as large things. One of the biggest differences at Bahri's office, for example, is that patients don't move from room to room or have to deal with multiple appointments ... " ...

Via Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville: Business Lean Success Story

Lean Kaizen Bootcamp

Lean Learning Center is offering a number of lean classes, such as a kaizen bootcamp, during 2008. ...

... "Lean Kaizen Workshop Boot Camp, a five-day, hands-on program with the majority of time spent at a manufacturing site; " ...

Via The Fabricator: Lean Learning Center Schedule

Lean Software Support Visual Workplace

BubbleQuest offers a number of software modules, such as people, measures, organization, improvement, and training aids, that enable the implementation of lean techniques and kaizen improvements. ...

... "Kaizen is the process of continuous improvement using small, sustainable steps. The focus is on achieving small sustainable improvements by identifying & reducing sources of waste. " ...

Via Bubble Quest: Kaizen

Lean Manufacturing Measurement Strategy

Ethanol industry confronts challenges in manufacturing yield through the use of Six Sigma and lean manufacturing techniques. Establishing measurements of baseline performance and measuring improvements and sustaining improved performance is key to these methodologies. ...

... "Process improvement methodologies, such as lean manufacturing and Six Sigma, are fundamentally measurement-based strategies that seek to maximize productivity while eliminating variation. In fact, measurement is both the second and fifth step of the Six Sigma DMADV (define, measure, analyze, design and verify) process. " ...

Via Ethanol Producer: Measurement Automation Strategy

Gerber Lean Manufacturing System

Gerber appoints experienced leader and lean consultant to its head operations position. This position will continue to dirve adoption of Gerber's lean initiative. ...

... "He has 26 years experience in high technology aerospace and commercial manufacturing, including 17 years with United Technologies' Sikorsky Aircraft Division, where he played a pivotal role in Sikorsky's Lean transformation. Mr. Mele was also a partner with Accenture, where he consulted global high technology manufacturing firms in planning and execution of end-to-end business transformations. Mr. Mele holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut, an MS in Computer and Information Science from the University of New Haven and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development. " ...

Via Gerber Scientific: Senior Vice President, Operations

Aviation Today: Sikorsky: "We will examine a key part of that plan - the company's efforts to adopt lean manufacturing and overhaul its production processes ... "

Lean Education

Kids are provided exposure to lean methods as they explore career options. ...

... "The new language is part of a Japanese-inspired, lean manufacturing philosophy that helps companies produce products with the least amount of labor, equipment, materials and power ... " ...

Via Sauk Valley: Education

Kaizen and IT-enabled Processes Expected to Make Healthcare More Efficient and Effective

Lean practices are applied to healthcare in the UK as management systems are improved. ...

... "The Kaizen problem-solving system will also be applied to the turnaround time for lab tests, such as biopsy samples, which will help speed up diagnoses. Much of the work is likely to involve better use of IT systems ... " ...

Via The Scotsman: NHS Lothian

Lean Manufacturing is Music to their ears

Musical instrument manufacturing benefits from a dose of lean, as the workforce is educated on the principles and techniques. ...

... "But D'Addario's bigger plan to increase profitability lies in his Toyota-inspired lean manufacturing initiative. The company is putting 12 employees, who volunteered to become lean champions, through about 400 hours of training ... " ...

Via Newsday: Reinvention

Sybron Lean Manufacturing Builds on Danaher Business System

Sybron emphasizes operational efficiency through application of Danaher Business System, based on lean manufacturing principles. ...

... "Sybron has adopted principles known as Danaher Business Systems, which he called a playbook to make the company run as a more efficient team. It's centered on kaizen, a quality improvement process that grew out of the teaching of W. Edwards Deming. " ...

Via Orange County Business Journal: Sybron

Lean Manufacturing Commitment Drives Program

Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems division manages global positioning program, GPS IIF, using lean techniques. ...

... "The performance of these subsystems is a testament to our process-based management and to our lean manufacturing commitment, and GPS IIF fully meets the specifications set forth by our U.S. Air Force customer and places us firmly on track to deliver the satellite for the first launch in 2008. " ...

Via Boeing: Boeing Builds First GPS IIF Satellite

Lean Warehouse Through Wireless Processes

Lean work processes in the warehouse are enabled by wireless technology. ...

... "The basic principles of Lean Manufacturing date back at least to the 18th century. In Poor Richard's Almanack, Benjamin Franklin wrote, He that idly loses 5s. " ...

Via Plant Services: Lean Warehouse

Lean Workshop Series Upcoming

Info session on lean workshop coming up this week. ...

... "An information session about a coming Lean Certificate Workshop Series is scheduled for 8-9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Business Assistance Center, 2701 Larsen Road. " ...

Via Green Bay Press-Gazette: Lean workshop

Lean Quick Changeover

The lean workcell requires the ability to accomodate quick changeovers. ...

... "In fact, the ability to change the process and go from good part to good part as quickly as possible is a must. The faster the changeover, the less production time is lost. " ...

Via Electronics Supply & Manufacturing: Lean Principles

Boeing Dreamliner Lean Process

Boeing San Antonio will support the Dreamliner after launch with modification. ...

... "We've become successful in eliminating waste through lean manufacturing processes, she says. We've implemented a lot of procedures to make it efficient or cost-efficient (to keep planes operational). " ...

Via San Antonio Business Journal: Boeing Dreamliner

Lean Through The Value Stream

Lean is not just relegated to the plant floor. ...

... "If you're going to consistently beat your competition to market on this newly expanded, worldwide playing field you've got to spread Lean throughout your entire value stream. " ...

Via InformationWeek: Infor on Lean Supply Chain

Florida Lean Manufacturing Imperative

Manufacturing training offers opportunity for workers to challenge themselves. Workers that can think and embrace a quality mindset are positioned for success. ...

... "When Lumedyne implemented the Lean Manufacturing process, its production increased from five units per week to 15 units in three days, Rhoden said. " ...

Via St Petersburg Times: Manufacturing Training

IBM Lean Organization Changes

IBM deploys lean into its enterprise, which results in some pruning of the organization. ...

... "IBM, however, confirms that Lean is simply a Six Sigma business practices effort that has nothing to do with layoffs. Lean is a collection of Six Sigma business processes used by a number of leading companies to improve speed, quality and responsiveness to customers ... " ...

Via The Register: IBM Redefines With Lean

Lean Logistics Services

Menlo Worldwide receives the Global Institute of Logistics' Award of Excellence for outstanding contribution to the development of Logistics Service Provision (LSP). ...

... "According to the Institute, Menlo was selected because of its success in applying the principles of Lean manufacturing to the LSP sector. After reviewing a considerable amount of data, the Institute was convinced that Menlo had developed an operating model and a best practice that provided an excellent benchmark for other LSPs to emulate. Additionally, Menlo significantly improved its customers' efficiency, service and overall supply-chain performance.

The Lean concept uses a company's employees to discover ways to remove waste from processes by drawing on the expertise and knowledge of people who perform the work. Employees are given a framework within which to work, and problem-solving tools enabling them to analyse work processes, identify wasteful and unnecessary practices and develop plans to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Essentially, Lean manufacturing methodologies applied in the supply chain allow for the continuous removal of cost from warehousing and logistics operations leading to improved financial returns for both the customer and the logistics provider. " ...

Via Menlo Worldwide: Menlo Worldwide Named Supplier of the Year by MAQUET, Inc.

Reinvent Automotive Production Through Lean Manufacturing

Does the Chrysler sale offer opportunity to challenge Toyota for lean leadership? Will private capital have the patience for long-term methodologies, like kaizen and lean? We shall see. ...

... "And it is the chance of a lifetime for a car company to reinvent itself, to out-Toyota Toyota in lean manufacturing and vehicle quality. " ...

Via USATODAY: Chrysler Sale

Equipment and Automation Support Lean Manufacturing

Specific manufacturing equipment can support a lean implementation. ...

... "Achieving the beginning stages of lean is fairly easy; it's taking it to the next level that requires hard work, dedication, and in many cases, the right equipment. " ...

Via Hoist: Lean Technology

Organizational Development Supports Lean Initiative

Companies are well-served by investing in their talent - recruiting, retaining, and aligning to enterprise initiatives. ...

... "At AEP, when a new approach is being introduced, such as lean manufacturing, everyone in the facility has some level of training to have a company-wide knowledge base. " ...

Via Connecticut Business Journal: Create Employee Connection to Your Organization

Project Portfolio Management: SixSigma Lean Initiatives

Brambles selects Instantis EnterpriseTrack software to manage its Six Sigma, Lean, and IT project portfolios. Per Julie Brignac, Brambles Vice President ...

... "EnterpriseTrack allows us to easily configure multiple strategic project portfolios, each tailored to meet our specific needs. EnterpriseTrack is being deployed globally within the company's Quality organizations initially. We were able to communicate our requirements to the Instantis services team, and they had us up and running relatively quickly, added Brignac. " ...

Via Instantis: Achieve Performance Excellence

Lean Automotive Is Relevant Today As 17 Years Ago

Lean manufacturing principles are as relevant today, as when introduced years ago. Ford, GM, Chrysler need a refresher course. ...

... " ... it seems fitting that The Machine That Changed the World, the seminal 1990 book on lean manufacturing as practiced by Toyota Motor Corp., is now being reissued. " ...

Via Detroit Free Press: Automotive Challenge

NewJersey Lean Manufacturing Supports Business

NJ manufacturing takes advantage of lean concepts through the NJMEP. The NJ program has a course coming up on February 8 - Principles of Lean Manufacturing with Live Simulation. ...

... "The program advocates lean manufacturing, whose main tenet is that the processes used to produce things can be made more efficient and therefore more profitable. " ...

Via New Jersey Business: NJ Lean Manufacturing Support

Lean Supply Chain: Inherent Risks

Lean manufacturing and kanban inventory pull creates higher risks in the supply-side of the supply chain. Understand your risks and prepare for events. ...

... "Meanwhile, lean manufacturing, globalization and supplier rationalization initiatives have dramatically increased companies' exposure to the risk of supplier instability, shrunk time-to-respond, and decreased visibility. " ...

Via line56: Link

Lean Cell Concepts: Make-to-Order

Stollenwerk shoe manufacturing stays on-shore and uses lean concepts to better manage working capital and remains globally competitive through operational efficiency. ...

... "Thanks to the introduction of lean manufacturing and cell concepts, the company can make a pair in seven hours. Shoes are made to order, with the inventory of finished products kept very low. " ...

Via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Link