Lean Journey – The Never Ending Story
Good article here on a group of Chinese executives coming to Canada to learn about lean (talk about a global economy).
The author says:
“Labour cost was not their main motivation, although it was still a factor. Their interest was on the other less obvious benefits. Lean, as they very well understood, is about providing the best quality product or service to the customer at the right cost and the right time, all the while creating and maintaining flexibility in meeting constantly changing customer needs.”
I would still be curious to see how “lean” the best Chinese factories are. Even if they are not concerned about labor costs primarily (as many American companies seem to be), any lessons they can learn about improving quality using lean methods will benefit all of us, as customers of Chinese products. But, it also helps make them more competitive compared to the factories we work in. What do you think?
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. His most recent book is the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus. His latest book has been released as an "in-progress" book, titled Measures of Success.