Thomas R. Cutler suggests that manufacturers are rethinking
lean. Before investing in more technology, manufacturers are
making sure the processes in place are working at, or close to,
capacity. The January issue of Management Magazine contains more
of Cutler's assertions.
Lean processes are introduced in companies to eliminate waste.
Considering how effective the process has been for many
companies, it's somewhat surprising to learn that only about 61%
of Canadian manufacturers have introduced a lean process into
their operations. Of that 61%, many confess that the effort has
been cursory, managing to deal with only surface issues at best.
According to Cutler, "The road to fulfilling a lean initiative
begins with a willingness to do some serious housecleaning. Some
do this cursorily, derive quantifiable improvements, and suggest
that they have achieved their lean objective. However, a lean
process has to be a continuous process of improvement if it is
to succeed. After cleaning a section of the manufacturing house,
it's time to ferret out the dirt and dust throughout the rest of
the enterprise. The bottom line is that if a lean program
doesn't touch all areas of the business, it won't succeed."
Cutler, who founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium in 1999,
has grown the participation from 300 journalists to more than
two thousands key clients, journalists, editors, trendsetters,
and key business leaders worldwide. Cutler has authored more
than 1000 articles for a wide range of manufacturing
periodicals, industrial publications, and business journals
including most of the leading monthly trade publications. Cutler
is the author of The Manufacturers' Public Relations and Media
Guide. Cutler was voted #1 Manufacturing Journalist for the
third year in a row. The firm has forty-two employees worldwide.
TR Cutler, Inc., (www.trcutlerinc.com), is the largest
manufacturing marketing and public relations firm worldwide and
is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
|
