Lean manufacturing has been around for many years and helps companies go through the point in their growth cycle when the initial fly-by-night system they struggled to put in place as a young company no longer satisfies demand or schedules. The changes required to move from batch processing and other manufacturing models to a more efficient customer-oriented model are generally established when companies hit the wall in terms of continually trying to balance demand and output capabilities.
Lean systems demand that companies gain greater cooperative control over suppliers, smooth out scheduling and manufacturing flows, improve quality, and bring employees into the overall operational authority structure where some decisions and improvements are moved to lower levels as ordering, receiving in-process and customer teams work to smooth throughput.
Lean systems result in on-time deliveries without the usual high stress often associated with ramming product through to meet daily, weekly, monthly ends and quarterly volume commitments.
Changes in attitude, purchasing and ordering, production flows, training, shared responsibilities, shipment schedules and all aspects of the operation are impacted.
Once a lean system is in place and functioning, inventory turns will improve resulting in higher process capabilities, smaller lot sizes, quicker cycle times, simplified processes, reduced overproduction and lower costs while satisfying customer demands in a more timely and profitable manner.
Lean systems may be applied to just about any type of manufacturing system.
Lean manufacturing is a way of establishing high inventory turns that improve quality and reduce labor and other overhead costs.
Dr. John Ryan is a certified Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PQCI) specializing in food safety process control and food safety plan validation. He holds a Ph.D. in research and statistical methods and has extensive international manufacturing quality and operations experience in large and small manufacturing operations and he is a retired Hawaii State Department of Agriculture Quality Assurance Division administrator.He currently operates two business divisions focused on food safety system validation (http://www.RyanSystems.com) and transportation controls (http://www.SanitaryColdChain.com).He has previously published books other covering food fraud, teams and teamwork and has recently completed a new book on validating preventive controls in food operations.
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