《General questions about lean operations》.docx

PAGE11 / NUMPAGES11 General questions about lean operations What is lean? Lean operations involve the elimination of waste, whether it be time, materials, efficiency or processes. It also means figuratively tightening the belt in pursuit of increased productivity gains that will increase a company’s ability to compete more successfully. Why lean? Increased global competition will likely force all but the strong to the sidelines. Belt tightening and a lean mindset will enable the game to continue as companies steady themselves for the challenges and opportunities that await them. The truly lean company of today will be a survivor in the global battle for customers and bottom line profits. The need for lean is obvious and the potential rewards are dazzling. There will be those who will probably resist the necessary changes. Training will start you on the road to overcoming this resistance and ultimately achieving a successful transition. Who participates in lean Operations? Eventually, everyone in the company is a participant in the quest for a lean organization. Is lean applicable only to manufacturing? The concept includes many non-manufacturing areas such as purchasing, clerical, office and technical. Also, these areas often contribute in making lean achievements in manufacturing more successful. What organizations can benefit from lean projects? Every organization offers goods or services. This includes such diverse sectors as merchandising, hospitals, banking, insurance, public utilities, government, military, prisons, churches, schools and, of course, manufacturing. Can?lean?activities?be?started?in?more?than?one?division?at?a?time??? Yes,?it?can?be?done,?but?starting?in?one?division?is?preferable.??The?experience?gained?permits?corrections?and?modifications?to?be?introduced?with?less?fuss.??In?this?way,?any?“bugs”?can?be?eliminated?before?the?concept?is?initiated?plant-wide.?? How?should?employees?approach?problems???