The Skinny of Lean Manufacturing
6/21/2010 at 4:30 pm by
Lean manufacturing principles can be complicated, but at their core, they focus on eliminating waste within a company. Businesses that implement lean manufacturing build products and provide services only at the necessary times and in the ordered quantity. Lean manufacturing can successfully cut down on excess inventory, improving quality and efficiency.
Like installing an ERP system, lean manufacturing requires dedication and time. The method truly incorporates all areas of your business – from purchasing to accounting to scheduling. Why not use your ERP system to support your move toward lean manufacturing? ERP systems can play a “vital role” in your transition, as Jean Thilmany explains in the e-book Lean Manufacturing and ERP. Your ERP software shows you the areas of your business that might benefit from restructuring by tracking and analyzing your current practices – the first and most important step in your move toward lean practices.
“Manufacturers will find the best payoff from implementing lean manufacturing principles by combining the predictive capabilities of ERP with the streamlined productivity and enhanced customer service principles of lean,” writes Thilmany.
E-Z-Go, a golf supply company, reported this week that incorporating a lean manufacturing model into its business increased profitability by more than 200 percent since its implementation in 2003. Combine lean manufacturing and an ERP system, and you may be on your way to a similar success story.





