Why you need lean manufacturing

Waste reduction and the removal of unnecessary process can save companies millions of dollars a year. Lean manufacturing benefits not only the company but the consumers of the products. The customers get to enjoy increase value to their products while the employees appreciate their jobs do to the incentives and motivational tools used to make the working environment flow better. The purpose of lean manufacturing is to reduce cycle times and get the products to the customers faster than anticipated.

Companies that have small manufacturing defects need to implement lean manufacturing because it will uncover some of these problems and help you come up with solutions for these problems. Anything that doesn't add value to the company, product, or customers will be removed. Using lean manufacturing provides you with a distinct advantage over your competitors since you can product a higher quality product for a lower price.

Lean manufacturing helps to improve the communication process between everyone within the company. When communication breaks down within the company, the manufacturing process will have some hiccups along the way. Lean manufacturing focuses on informing everyone on the supply chain so that they can all come up with the same end result instead of just focusing on one specific task.

The supply chain often has excess waste because people duplicate orders. This leads to waste in time and money for the company not to mention the frustration it causes the employee. The only way to get back on track is to create a smooth work-flow, which requires proper communication with the supply chain. The supply chain is in charge of several things that impact your bottom line including:

• Transportation


• Machine set-up


• Inventory


• Quality consistency and inspection


• Material handling

Lean manufacturing not only helps to improve the different process it also finds ways to make use of wasted space. If you have small spaces that are not being used, you can do small things to make use of it. Perhaps moving some equipment around or moving parts to this area will improve the flow of production. Lean manufacturing also helps to improve delivery time, defects, handling of materials, and storage requirements. Since products are made to order, it makes it easier for companies to use their employees and equipment effectively. You no longer will leave machines on when they are not being used and you won't pay your employees to sit around and watch television or read magazines while they wait until the inventory is sold before the start producing products.

Companies that implement lean manufacturing produce higher-quality products for lower prices. This allows them to market their products faster and control their marketing and advertising costs. Proper control over your cash flow will help you with company expansion and development.

Implementing lean manufacturing helps to get rid of most of the manufacturing challenges your company may be experiencing. If you have watched the process and you can't find the inefficiencies, lean manufacturing will help you identify them. You can then develop a method to solve the problem and prevent them from occurring in the future.

Lean manufacturing helps to smooth out business processes between all departments. Here are some other ways lean manufacturing will improve your company:

• Reduced cycle times


• Improved customer satisfaction


• Reduced administrative costs


• Waste reduction


• Generating profits by removing unnecessary processes


• Better control over the day-to-day operations of the company


• Reduces competition from other companies


• Promotes friendly office practices

Lean manufacturing is a process and it takes time to completely master it. Hire a consultant to help you properly implement lean manufacturing and help you company achieve the success it deserves.