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Lean Productivity

Omnex announces joint AIAG/Omnex Lean and Six Sigma training in Southfield, Michigan!

"Lean" is a term coined by Jim Womack and Dan Jones in their book "The Machine that Changed the World" to describe a new Management Paradigm created by Toyota Motors. They called this approach to management "Lean" because they found that Toyota used less of everything when compared to other automotive companies utilizing the traditional mass production approach to management.

Womack and Jones found that Lean companies use less than half the people to design and produce products in less than half the time, with less than half the capital invested in facilities, materials and equipment. This revolutionary approach to industrial management has resulted in Toyota becoming the most profitable automobile company in the world. Even though they have less than a 10% share of the worldwide automobile market, last year Toyota generated more net profits than Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler AG combined.

The Lean Management paradigm created at Toyota is now being studied and deployed around the world in automotive and non-automotive, industrial and service firms alike, to drive cost reductions, productivity improvements and sales and revenue growth. It is truly a new way of managing that produces significant improvements in speed, efficiency and costs for any type of work process.

Lean is not layoffs

Trying to become a lean producer or service provider by simply laying off workers, shutting down plants or pushing costs down the supply chain is not Lean. That approach is like a dieter trying to lose weight by cutting off one of his or her legs. Weight loss does occur but the long-term health of the individual will surely suffer. Likewise, companies that attempt to become "Lean" through layoffs and outsourcing may make the resulting performance numbers look good in the short-run; however, in the long run they too will suffer.

Becoming a Lean Producer or Service Provider requires a commitment to achieve continual process improvement through the development and deployment of Lean Management processes such as:

1. Using Value Stream Maps to Plan for Continual Improvement
2. Achieving Continuous Flow through Cellular Manufacturing
3. Scheduling Production with Supermarket Pull Systems
4. Improving Equipment Performance with Lean Equipment Management Systems:
   1. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
   2. Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)
   3. Quality at the Source (Six Sigma Quality)
5. Achieving Visual Control Through:
   1. Five S's for Workplace Organization
   2. Visual Display Boards for Project Management
   3. Standard Work Charts for Process Management

To find out more about Omnex's workshops and consulting services in Breakaway Lean®, Excelerated Six Sigma® or Unified Lean/Six Sigma™ please contact:

CALL OR EMAIL
Omnex Business Development
(734)761-4940
info@omnex.com