Lean Process Improvement Archives - Page 3 of 3

Introducing Lean In Retail … Start in the Backroom!

The Agile Supply Chain! Why Agility is Trumping Lean!

The Retail company I had just joined was undergoing a massive transformation. Fundamentally the new merchandising strategy was to curate a dramatically different set of products from that which was carried historically, but in addition to what was carried historically. What did this mean for the backroom in every store?

This meant that an enormous number of the business processes had to be transformed to support the new product set because management of the new merchandise required much different capabilities in all aspects of running a retail company. Not only did this transformation require new capabilities but it also required improvements to productivity and efficiency throughout the company. And overall this meant a need for cultural change.

I decided that I would introduce Lean process improvement techniques to this company.

Future of Energy for Manufacturing!

The Top 5 Impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Logistics!

Today manufacturers must continually look for waste reduction, process improvement and supply chain efficiency to meet competitive pressures and their customers’ cost reduction requirements for the future of energy. Programs such as Lean have become a popular means to develop a culture of simplification and constant improvement.

Although Lean principles provide an excellent basis for managing energy costs, such costs are often left out of an efficiency drive…

Why is that?

Is Just In Time Past Its Time?

Featuring Our 10 Best Inventory Management Articles!

Get Our

EBOOK HERE

The prospect of having a Just In Time (JIT) Supply Chain system has been the goal of innumerable businesses and industries for decades. And for those who have implemented Just In Time processes it has been the backbone of their entire operating structure.

But the global pandemic exposed the fragility of the Supply Chain in virtually every industry. We quickly ran out of healthcare supplies, toilet paper, and more. The extent of disruption has spread to lumber, steel, computer chips, automobiles, furnaces, and any number of additional products.

The fundamental principle of just in time delivery based on real time demand, combined with the unrelenting focus on inventory levels and faster inventory turnover, has created an operating paradigm that is great when things are going well, but which has proven to be ill-equipped to handle disruption the likes of which the pandemic has created.

Does that mean that a Just In Time philosophy has outlived its usefulness? Is JIT past its time?

Global Process Excellence™: Defining the Roadmap for Best In Class Results

Global Process Excellence ™ : A Journey From Disarray To Best In Class!

“Global Process Excellence™” was to be the platform on which we would propel the company’s Operations upward toward Best In Class status. Our Call To Action objectives were clear:

We had a clear requirement to improve our profitability
We needed to respond to customer expectations for increased value and a consistent, exceptional customer experience in all Distribution Centres
We needed to lean out the operations and improve our productivity
We needed to create Best in Class capabilities
We needed to enable profitable growth on the back of an enhanced Operating model, capacity and capabilities
And we needed to unleash the tremendous experience and expertise that resided within our employees

Now we needed to formulate our Roadmap: the Approach, the Mandate, a set of Ground rules, and a process of Governance to bring together everything that would now be called Global Process Excellence™.

10 Signs You Should Reboot Your Lean Program!

Lean in the Back Office … Why is it so difficult?

How many people make a New Year’s resolution to adopt a Lean program and “Lean” yourself out only to abandon it shortly thereafter?

One of the top New Year’s resolutions is to start exercising. In January the local gyms are filled. But by February those gyms are much emptier and many of those well meaning people are still at home.

What do you do when your Lean program at work suffers the same fate? How do you know when your improvement program needs to be improved?

4 Ways to Run a More Sustainable Business!

Start Your Business’ Sustainability Journey in 5 Steps!

A business owner has many responsibilities. They have to make sure profits are made while also ensuring that their employees are paid, taxes are filed, and so on. However, there is one aspect that has grown significantly in terms of importance and visibility in recent years: running a more sustainable business.