The Evolving Enterprise: Lean Manufacturing

Abstract: Smart companies have turned to lean techniques as a way to achieve lower costs and more factory throughput. The most progressive companies, seeing the astonishing success that lean provides on the shop floor, have begun to apply lean methods to the entire supply chain.

Companies that understand the evolving enterprise know that every step in the supply chain, even those that occur at the customer or supplier, has to be examined using lean techniques in order to achieve the maximum benefits. These companies find that they not only survive in difficult times, but they actually thrive and gain market share as their competition falls behind.

This paper includes the following topics:

• The demand-driven supply chain
• Outsourcing, global manufacturing and their business ramifications
• The role of IT architecture in a lean environment

The bottom line when it comes to lean is no different for a mid-size manufacturer or a multi-billion dollar manufacturer: Lean business processes require lean IT processes to succeed. And a lean IT environment by definition must be implemented to fit the precise needs of the individual manufacturer. Going lean doesn't have to be hard, or overly expensive, as long as it's done right.

Source: Bitpipe