Here is a nice example of a Chicago-area company using lean to respond to the market, which is forcing prices downward. To keep profits up, they'll have to reduce costs and lean is obviously a great way to do that. They'll benefit more from focusing beyond cost, on quality and employee satisfaction.
“Taking a cue from one of its customers, UGN has been implementing the Toyota Production System at its factories.
Developed decades ago by the automaker, it aims to ferret out waste at every turn in the manufacturing process, from reducing the number of defective parts to how far a worker has to go to grab a particular tool. Many U.S. companies have adapted aspects of TPS in ‘lean' manufacturing initiatives.
‘We are trying to implement as many aspects of TPS as possible,' Anthony said.”
Please post a comment and join the discussion. Subscribe to get notified about posts daily or weekly.
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.