Lean Manufacturing what could it mean for your business
Manufacturing companies today are always looking for that advantage and for many lean manufacturing could be the solution that they are looking for. It is true that lean manufacturing is thought of to be the consideration of the total cost of resources to achieve a specific objective and to eliminate waste. Over the last few years there is now some confusion regarding the concept of lean manufacturing, whether it is the people or the manufacturing ERP system that help to make lean work, in reality it is both. We have found that at times the key to making the transition to a lean organization is a change to the organizations culture and technology which must be driven from the top down and for employees to understand and embrace the change.
Companies soon learn that lean manufacturing is an operational strategy and the use of ERP technology that is oriented toward achieving the shortest possible cycle time by eliminating waste. Lean manufacturing is derived from the Toyota Production System and its key thrust is to increase the value-added work by eliminating waste and reducing incidental work. The overall goal of lean manufacturing is to decreases the time between a customer order and shipment, and it is designed to radically improve profitability, customer satisfaction, throughput time, and employee morale.
One of the first questions we are always asked is around the benefits of lean manufacturing. Our clients quickly find out what the benefits are of implementing lean manufacturing with an integrated ERP solution. The benefits clients experience are lower costs, higher quality, and shorter lead times.
Our clients have discovered that the right technology enables a responsive and Lean supply chain by facilitating lean planning. Keep in mind when thinking about lean manufacturing that the right lean manufacturing tools can make a difference, especially so in the most challenging of environments. MXI looks to the best technology to incorporate the functionality you need to realize your Lean supply chain objectives. If you are looking to make the most of your ERP solution read our free whitepaper on top things to consider when slecting an ERP system.