A new view on lean: Five supply chain strategies that improve business performance

摘要

With spending down and credit and operating budgets tightening, manufacturers are faced with the challenge of reducing costs, re-aligning offerings to meet changing consumer preferences and looking for new areas of growth. Compounding factors, such as fluctuating materials, and logistics costs, increased supply chain security and quality control requirements and dramatic changes in demand patterns only add to the complexity of managing a global supply chain. To overcome these challenges, progressive companies are seeking supply chain solutions that offer a new view on the traditional concept of lean manufacturing. Pioneered decades ago by Toyota, lean manufacturing was designed to help the carmaker compete in domestic and foreign markets with limited resources and capacity by driving out production inefficiencies and waste and focusing on quality initiatives with value-focused workflows. Toyota's success story became a model for manufacturers all over the world, and the company has grown to become a worldwide automotive leader.