In general the reporters for local newspapers put out an incredible amount of copy on tight deadlines for fairly low pay. I have nothing but admiration for the work they do. When it comes to telling stories about companies that adopt lean business methodologies, such reporters frequently become lost in Japanese jargon and generalities about waste-elimination. That’s not to say that reporters from the national daily papers like The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal do a much better job.
That said, Lynne Hendricks from The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass., does a decent job of turning a press event into a story with some real lean insights, Local company a model for staying competitive the ‘lean’ way. The beneficiary of some funding ($111,000) for training from long-time lean champion Mass-MEP, ARC Technologies Inc. has improved quality (reduced non-conformances by 13%), and increased on-time delivery by 18%.
For a company …. Continue reading Government Subsidy Aids Lean Returns for ARC Technologies Inc.
I had a great opportunity several months ago to talk to the CEOs and Managing Director of WIKA, CIRCOR and Alstom Transport about their lean improvement efforts. That story has now been published online by Chief Executive magazine, “Lean Manufacturing’s Next Life.”
Overall I was impressed by several things during these interviews. First, the level of understanding of what lean can be—an enterprise-wide improvement methodology and not just a few management tools confined to the shop (or depot) floor—was exceptionally high among these business leaders. Second, I was encouraged by the very deliberate way, though not without hiccups, that they are implementing changes and achieving big returns across these diverse and globally dispersed organizations. As I wrote, “the end results are not only a lower cost structure, but operational advantages that customers notice, care about and, most importantly, are willing to pay for.” Here are some highlights from the lean ROI …. Continue reading Lean ROI at WIKA, CIRCOR and Alstom Transport
With deepest respect for the job searches facing everyone who has been laid off, and the many thousands more who worked to provide parts and services to the factory, today’s closure of New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) – the Toyota and GM joint venture in Fremont, Calif. – reminds me of some of the challenges we had every year when evaluating applicants for IndustryWeek magazine’s Best Plants competition. On each application we reviewed a slew of performance metrics, comparing them both to top performers and to the factory’s past performance. The judges also looked at the impact that any operational improvements, such as lead-time or delivery time reductions, may have had on market performance, including market share, profitability and/or return on invested capital. We looked for such results as a reflection of long-term sustainability. NUMMI happened to be one of the first factories that IndustryWeek recognized …. Continue reading NUMMI: When Being Lean Is Not Enough
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