Beyond manufacturing: The evolution of lean production

Many nonmanufacturing sectors are rapidly adopting lean techniques. So what are these lean techniques? How to implement them? And above all how well you will be implementing it?

Lean principles were originally developed in industrial operations as a set of tools and practices that managers and workers could use to eliminate waste and inefficiency from production systems there by

• reducing costs
• improving quality and reliability
• speeding up cycle times

Many companies ahich have applied lean practices are performing well for exampleToyota Motor pioneered lean practices, and much of their allure today stems from the fact that the phenomenal performance of this automaker, in one of the world’s most competitive sectors, rests to a considerable extent on its ability to develop and perfect these practices over the past five decades.

Now even all the positive factors attached with the application of lean techniques, we should also know what are the challenges faced by the lean techniques.

The biggest challenges in adopting the lean approach in nonindustrial environments are to know which of its tools or principles to use and how to apply them effectively.

Differences in everything from culture to infrastructure mean that managers can’t apply the lean tools and techniques used in manufacturing operations in Moline or Munich to nonindustrial environments or to manufacturing plants in the developing world; the approach must be tailored to the realities of specific environment

Public sector also wants to apply these leaning techniques but government rules and norms are coming on their way. no doubt these techniques are world class, but the question is how you are going to implement them? How to come out from the present scenario of traditional practices?