| Lean manufacturing is thought of to be the | | | | The Essentials of Lean Manufacturing |
| consideration of the total cost of resources to | | | | In order to understand lean manufacturing, it is |
| achieve a specific objective and to eliminate | | | | important to understand the guiding principles of |
| waste. | | | | lean and the elements that comprise a lean |
| There is sometimes some confusion regarding the | | | | initiative. Lean manufacturing is a greater focus on |
| concept of lean, whether it is the people or the | | | | operational efficiency, the removal of waste, |
| tools that help to make lean work, in reality it is | | | | continuous improvement and the basic concept of |
| both. The key to making the transition to a lean | | | | being able to do more with less. The benefits of a |
| organisation is a change to the organisations | | | | lean organisation include: |
| culture which must be driven from the top down | | | | - Reduced lead times |
| and for employees to understand and embrace | | | | - Improved delivery performance |
| the change. | | | | - Increased sales revenue |
| Is lean only about the plant floor? | | | | - Lower operating costs and increased profits |
| There is some confusion as to whether lean is | | | | - Improved customer satisfaction and supplier |
| only for the plant floor. While the manufacturing | | | | relations |
| floor of a business provides the most tangible and | | | | - A reduction in inventory |
| significant opportunity to implement lean | | | | - Increased employee moral and retention |
| methodologies, the same principles can be applied | | | | - Improved quality |
| across every aspect of the business. Once lean | | | | - Creation of additional working capital for new |
| principles have been established, these guidelines | | | | projects |
| can benefit nearly every department in the | | | | - Reduced warehouse space |
| organisation, including project management, | | | | That is why Infor Enterprise Resource Planning |
| finance, human resources, purchasing and supplier | | | | Software can help you to reduce your operational |
| management, customer services, sales and | | | | costs, improve efficiency and adopt lean |
| marketing, inventory control and manufacturing. | | | | manufacturing processes in your organisation. |