Union Lean Manufacturing Barriers

The political landscape shift is seen as favorable to unions, which are described as a barrier to lean manufacturing initiatives needed to stay competitive globally. ...

... "Prybutok said the U.S. manufacturing sector has benefited from the concept of lean manufacturing, a philosophy that calls for flexibility in how to utilize workers. Such a system is nearly impossible to implement in a union workplace ... " ...

Via The Delaware News Journal: Business change

Performance Improvement Breakthrough Services By Milliken

Milliken & Company forms a dedicated business group to provide Performance Improvement Services to the manufacturing sector. The new group is called Milliken Performance Solutions and will serve customers from the company's Spartanburg, South Carolina headquarters. Milliken is one of the largest privately-held textile and chemical manufacturers in the world. ...

... "The formation of Milliken Performance Solutions will expand these services to support companies outside of Milliken's traditional base and will report to Craig Long, Vice President of Six Sigma and Quality. The Milliken Performance System is a daily management system that provides a systematic, step by step method of running any operation more effectively and efficiently. The system is in place at over 60 plants worldwide and can support both discrete and continuous process manufacturing plants. The system overcomes the limitations of conventional Lean Six Sigma programs by providing a more comprehensive approach that leads to dramatic breakthroughs in cost reduction, higher morale, increased customer satisfaction, and a cleaner safer environment. " ...

Via Milliken & Company: New Business Line Provides Performance Improvement Services