Lean manufacturing has been around for decades. Its concepts can be traced back to Toyota Motor Corp., which used lean manufacturing to improve company performance through the 1950s and '60s. The system helped the company overtake American car makers and become a global force in the automobile industry, according to the Lean Enterprise Institute.
Here in Central Pennsylvania, most companies are only now beginning to absorb the lessons of Toyota and use them to improve their own competitive situations.
Business Journal Staff Writer Angela Doody talked to some local businesses that recently have begun implementing lean-manufacturing processes. Those firms are thrilled with their initial results.
Central Pennsylvania and the United States have been losing manufacturing jobs for more than a decade. Companies such as Clean Burn Inc. have found that the lean system identifies waste, streamlines processes and saves money and production time.
"We used to be the poster child of how not to run a manufacturing facility," said David Wolf, Clean Burn's president and chief executive officer.
The company is thriving thanks, in part, to implementing lean-manufacturing principles. We would encourage just about any manufacturer in the area to follow Wolf's lead and explore ways that lean manufacturing might help them. Even the best-run companies might learn a thing or two. If you decide to adopt the system at your company, make sure you talk to employees about any changes well in advance, and be ready to face some resistance.
Some local owners find workers are reluctant to adapt to the changes that accompany lean manufacturing. Change is inevitable, particularly when it comes to keeping a business competitive. Good communication should head off a lot of problems, but companies shouldn't be afraid to cut loose the folks who refuse to do their part to improve operations.
In the end, an owner's most basic responsibility is to do what's needed to keep the company operating at a high level.
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