All about lean manufacturing

For manufacturing companies that are looking to cut costs, increase profits and productivity there may not be a better process to use then lean manufacturing. In addition, studies have shown that manufacturing companies that use lean manufacturing have a much higher rate of satisfaction among their customers. Manufacturing companies also find that lean manufacturing can not only help them produce a much higher quality of product but reduce waste within their organization, as well. Here is what you need to know about lean manufacturing-

- Lean manufacturing benefits customers-There is perhaps no more customer driven business then manufacturing. Manufacturing companies that want to make customer satisfaction a priority will consider using lean manufacturing. The reason that lean manufacturing benefits your customers is because it provides them their product for the same or reduced price but with much higher quality. In addition, the products you produce are extremely fresh because you don't keep to much inventory on hand. The bottom line is that customers who do business with manufacturers who use lean manufacturing are found to be much happier with the products they are buying.
- Lean manufacturing benefits employees-The principles of lean manufacturing are developed to help you foster a stronger relationship with your employees. Businesses find that after they implement lean manufacturing their employees are far more productive. This is due to the fact that employees will be working to clean up their workstations, fix defects, and get rid of loopholes and problems that can occur in the manufacturing process. This means that productivity can only increase. In addition, employees will be utilized according to their strengths since the workload will be far more balanced. This means that you don't have to worry about your employees having too much or to little work. The result of this is that everyone on your staff will have increased job satisfaction and higher morale which will result in a higher approval rating and long term retention of your employees.
- Lean manufacturing benefits the entire company-The bottom line is that studies have shown that companies that use lean manufacturing will reduce their waste output by a minimum of 42%. This can only improve your production process. Lean manufacturing does by breaking down the production process into very specific cells. This makes it far easier to identify wastes and problems along the lines of your manufacturing process.
There are specific areas in the manufacturing process that lean manufacturing can bring about high rates of improvement. These areas are-
- Inventory management-Manufacturers often make the mistake of carrying too much inventory. This is a problem that can cause you to tie up your cash reserves. The result of this is that you can have problems purchasing other equipment and raw goods in the future. In addition, too much inventory also takes up valuable floor space which not only cost you money but can pose a safety and health risk.
- Production Quantity-In order to be effective manufacturers need to produce only what they can sell in the near future. If you are producing products that you can't sell for months or even years this is simply a waste of time and money. Lean manufacturing can help any manufacturer only produce the products that they will be able to sell quickly. This helps to promote better quality among produced products, as well.
- Defects-When lean manufacturing is put into place it will help to reduce waste as you evaluate your machinery. You will be able to quickly see problems, repair them, and then improve the entire manufacturing process. In addition, because the production process is broken down into cells each workgroup will be able to quickly see defects and fix them before they become a larger problem.