Virginia Roberson is part of our INDUSTRIAL team on a fact-finding mission to surface the technologies and trends impacting manufacturers and to share what we discover along the way.
Organizational consolidations, activity restructuring, supply-chain remodeling…
Many manufacturers are going “Lean” to find ways to do more with less in the coronavirus-induced recession. But this crisis management/belt tightening only works for temporary shutdowns and supply chain interruptions.
Fellow industrials, we’re not just riding out a temporary financial hurricane. This is an economic El Nino and our entire manufacturing community is in this for the long haul.
Fortunately, Lean methodologies can help manufacturers not only survive this crisis, they can create new growth opportunities in the “new normal” industrial marketplace. This begins with taking an agile approach to Lean, according to seasoned industrial performance guru, Rick Bohan, in a recent article from IndustryWeek, Is Agility More Important than Lean?
Sure, it’s important to apply Lean to eliminate costly wastes. But Bohan says manufacturers need to move beyond just “cutting away” and move towards “creating.” This means becoming more agile.
Today’s manufacturer must be agile enough to:
Lean and agility work hand-in-hand to give operators and supervisors the ability to see if they’re in control over their own processes and address their problems swiftly. The result is a Lean and agile company that can quickly identify and eliminate delays while building capacity, increase employee engagement and respond more quickly in our current chaotic environment.
If you're looking for strategies to create opportunities in the "new industrial normal," please contact us.
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