Business Automation and Software Blog

When faced with supply chain shortages and delays in getting raw materials and inventory, it’s easy to blame the problem on COVID-19. Over the past couple of years, the pandemic has been a handy scapegoat for all manner of business issues. Some people are blaming lean manufacturing for their supply chain issues. Is there any truth to this statement? Let’s examine it and find out.

We’ve all heard the term “lean manufacturing.” Some have ventured down the road already while others are making plans to implement. For those of you trying to figure out where to start, you’re in a good place to ensure lean is started the right way for maximum effectiveness. Automation is a great boon to lean manufacturing, but it can also result in massive waste if not properly addressed from the beginning.

Debuted in 1913 by Henry Ford and improved on by a team at Toyota in the 1930s, lean practice has made a big impact on the automotive world by minimizing waste, teaching companies to create more value with fewer resources.

It’s not just car manufacturing that can benefit from lean, though. Lean’s focus on continuous improvement and doing more with less resonates with every facet of business, from logistics to retail, construction to government, and yes, especially manufacturing.

How to Plan for Lean Manufacturing Success

Welcome back to our series on demand-driven manufacturing. In our first article, we looked at how lean manufacturing principles, applied to demand-driven manufacturing, along with the right software help companies identify winning strategies to trim losses and improve productivity. In this article, we’ll take a look at “demand-driven planning”, an important part of demand-driven manufacturing.

Fundamentals for Successful Demand-Driven Fulfillment

The concept of lean manufacturing principles, which systematically eliminate waste without sacrificing productivity, are especially important in a demand-driven manufacturing environment.

In this article, the first of a multi-part series, we will look at how demand-driven manufacturing and lean manufacturing principles go hand-in-hand. In our next article, we’ll look at demand-driven manufacturing planning, another important concept in the new environment of demand-driven production and processes.