Cut-throat competition in industries has driven companies to find ways to reduce costs while increasing efficiency. To accomplish this, most companies have skillfully endeavored to streamline Sales, Operations Planning, Forecasting, Inventory Management, and Logistics. One area that has still not grabbed industry’s attention is out-bound Supply Chain Management–from packaging to final delivery. Companies generally neglect […]
Tag Archives | lean
What Should Constitute Your Omni-channel Customer Journey Design?
Businesses are getting increasingly complex and so are customers’ expectations. Digital organizations are digitizing their critical Customer Journeys at scale to outperform competition. These organizations are using Digitization to create streamlined journeys, which result in more agile IT units, quick delivery of new products, and improved Customer Experiences and Engagement. But before embarking on digitization […]
Retail Strategy: How to Effectively Manage IT Costs
The Retail industry is under constant pressure by low margins and ever-increasing rivalry. Weak consumer spending; saturated markets; increased consumers demands for service and lower prices; and intense competition has put significant strain on retail bottom lines and growth avenues. Thus, Retail Strategy must evolve to accommodate these market changes. Such low margins force the […]
TWI Expanded: Using Training Within Industry Program in Mixed Model Production
The Training Within Industry (TWI) program is one of the most popular approaches to developing the skills of experienced operators and leaders in instructing, improving and problem solving. One TWI method is TWI Job Instruction (JI), which is focused on conducting on-the-job training. This method is aimed at reducing the root causes of human errors, […]
Complete List of Warehouse Cost Savings Initiatives
Here is a comprehensive list of warehouse cost savings ideas, categorized by 6 core areas: Labor, Operations, Equipment Usage Optimization, Technology, and Facilities Management. Labor Invest in training/re-certification Cross-train all employees Focus on retention/implement retention plans Use temporary/contract labor help where applicable Use flextime Revise your labor scheduling strategy Observe starting and quitting times Move […]
Using the Lean Kaizen Method to Unlock Great Potential
Kaizen (or commonly referred to as Value-Add Kaizen) is a problem solving tool used for process improvement by identifying if an activity (which is part of a process flow) is Value Add (VA) or Non-Value Add (NVA), then take steps to either remove or reduce these NVA activities. As these NVA activities are eliminated, the […]
Do You Have a “Strategy for Speed?” Start by Conquering the “10 Plus Wastes”
There is always much talk about the basic technology (and supplemental technology) solutions that are designed to optimize systems in an effort to work “smarter” in a distribution center or warehouse–to possess a “strategy for speed.” Managers are now under more pressure than ever (and they should be) to carve out space and optimize throughput. […]
Just-in-Time vs. Just-in-Case: An Inventory Dilemma
As manufacturers are reaping the benefits of Lean and Lean Six Sigma or other continuous improvement processes within their facilities, the importance of eliminating waste still hold sway. So the question now facing these manufacturers is this: Has the time come where Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory levels need to be changed to Just-in-Case levels? With the […]
Dump the Waste!
Sharpen your Competitive Edge by Eliminating Non-Value-Added Activities in your Organization. Recession or boom, companies need to sharpen their competitive edge by applying Lean Management principles to cost reduction – that is, the elimination of non-value-added activities or waste from the value stream processes. Be Lean In the Lean Management philosophy, all activities in an organization […]
Achieve Operational Excellence – Gemba, Lean, Kaizen
Operational Excellence is an element of organizational leadership that stresses the application of a variety of principles, systems, and tools toward the sustainable improvement of key performance metrics. Much of this management philosophy is based on earlier continuous improvement methodologies, such as Gemba Walk, Lean Manufacturing, and Kaizen. The focus of Operational Excellence goes beyond […]
Starting a Business? Build a Solid Foundation for Your Supply Chain
So you have started to set up your own business. You know what you want to supply. You know who you want to supply it to. Great. Now, how the heck do you do it without burning wads of (hard to come across) cash? Supply chain and efficient business go hand in hand and have […]
5S – Five Keys to Workplace Productivity
The 5S workplace organization system applies a set of basic management principles that many companies widely adopt to maximize workplace productivity and organization. As a cornerstone of Lean management, 5S improves workplace morale, safety and efficiency. In this training presentation, you will learn how to mobilize and align your management team to launch or improve […]
