HoboTrumpet

For the past year or so my company has been implementing “lean manufacturing” principles. In other words, we’re removing “waste” from our manufacturing processes—stuff that customers aren’t willing to pay for.

Smart.

One dedicated employee I know has even labeled the proper places for her stapler, tape dispenser and paper clip holder on her desk (so they never, ever get lost).

Real smart!

This past week the company gave us laminated 2” x 3” cards, describing the many types of “business waste” and some other lean manufacturing dogma, to post in our work areas. The punch line? The cards were full of spelling and other errors, meaning that we had to throw them all away, and now they’re printing new ones. Irony is a beautiful thing.

Richard Oliver

stchasking

I work for a large company. We started lean 5 years ago and have changed every major manufacturing line to lean.

mgraban

I'm sorry that you have gotten such a bad impression of "lean manufacturing." Please don't confuse bad management with lean.

Lean, done properly, respects people -- not threatening to move your jobs over to China. Those kind of threats have nothing to do with Lean. That's just cruel, incompetent management.

I posted about your stories on my blog about Lean Manufacturing:

leanblog.org | Lean Blog: Two L.A.M.E. Tales | Lean Manufacturing | Lean Healthcare | Toyota Production System

lmf

Hi. Mgrban,

You should tell that to Conn-Selmer!

"Lean management" means to "move all the work to China."

Best wishes!

Lloyd

mgraban

Yes, and I've been bitching about Conn Selmer for a long. That's another HORRIBLE example of people doing bad things and calling it "lean."

You can read more here:

leanblog.org | Lean Blog: Conn-Selmer still on Strike | Lean Manufacturing | Lean Healthcare | Toyota Production System

HoboTrumpet

A long-winded addition (because this work day will not end):

I've found this to be true, as well. Actually, I've even been excited doing "value stream mapping" events: we've really cleaned up a lot of our processes going through this exercise. Lean is mostly a bunch of common sense things all rolled into one. A lot of people at my job were worried about downsizing and such, but the company said that no jobs would be lost as a result.

I tend to think they're telling the truth, as we have upstanding people running the company. All our plates are full enough anyway, so we can work a lot smarter and faster and not have to worry about losing positions. However, Asian competition does affect our business as well. We have to be so much more focused on service and quality in a world where the cheap price tends to grab the most attention. So far we've faired pretty well, but that can always change.

mgraban

Great, I'm glad things aren't ALL bad with your lean efforts. Promising to not lay off people as a result of the lean improvements is key. This is MUCH more easily done at a growing company (Toyota) instead of a shrinking one (GM).

stchasking

Management hasn't threatened to move our jobs to China or Russia. It is implied by technology training investments and creating better international relations by building technical schools and providing computer based education in third world countries. We know that the Chinese work for $5.00 a day, if that much.

In the company I work with we have been very successful in implementing lean.
The cost of production has gone down dramatically and earnings are up. The company shares the profits with real cash to the employees.

The problem is, we are not building cars, where lean was originally innovated.

If any of you saw the Dave Monett pitch at ITG you saw lean in action. I am sure he has hired consultants and tooling engineers to design his production tools.

rowuk

Manufacturing in China is not LEAN by any stretch of the imagination. They replace expensive manufacturing with cheap manufacturing, using lots of people because they do not cost very much.
Lean implies very efficient structures, including the head count. If lean is used to strengthen the companies position and assets, great. If it is merely to appease shareholders, China is around the corner anyway. The curse or blessing can be found in the money flow!