Katherine Hintz

Another BIG week at Supply Chain Now! If you missed an episode, get a quick summary and listen here! We published a great Logistics with Purpose episode on Saturday the 8th, featuring Shane Buerster with Z Beans Coffee. Supply Chain Now · “Logistics with Purpose: Shane Buerster with Z Beans Coffee”       On Monday, Scott and Greg spoke with Keith Saunders, Vice President of Direct Materials and Sourced Finished Goods at Zep Inc.   Supply Chain Now · “Supply Chain Front & Center: Keith Saunders with Zep Inc.”     Stephanie Thum talked about relentlessly focusing on the customer on the podcast on Tuesday with Scott and Greg.   Supply Chain Now · “Relentlessly Focused on the Customer: Stephanie Thum with Practical CX”     On Wednesday, we published this week’s Supply Chain Buzz, which featured an excellent interview with Andrew Kelley, the CCO of Boxlock.   Supply Chain Now · “The Supply Chain Buzz for August 10th with Featured Guest Andrew Kelley from BoxLock”   On Thursday, we shared another great episode in the TECHquila Sunrise series with Greg White, where Greg shares the latest investments, acquisitions, innovations, and glorious implosions in Supply Chain Tech every week.…

Lean manufacturing is all about reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Manufacturers have been implementing lean practices for decades and have stood the test of time. Now, with technological advancements, lean methodologies can be more transformative than ever before. “Integrating automation into lean manufacturing is a powerful strategy. Unlike traditional automation, which often aims to increase production capacity without considering real needs, lean automation focuses on the smart and selective application of technologies to meet specific continuous improvement goals and eliminate inefficiencies,” the Kaizen Institute said. “Digital transformation provides an unprecedented opportunity for implementing lean,” it continued. “When applied within lean, tools like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics can revolutionize how organizations detect and eliminate waste.” What is Lean Manufacturing? In “The Machine That Changed The World,” published in 1990, lean production is hailed as “Toyota’s secret weapon in the global car wars.” The Toyota Production System was developed following World War II from “a series of simple innovations … to provide both continuity in process flow and a wide variety in product offerings,” according to the Lean Enterprise Institute. In “Lean Thinking,” a 1996 follow-up to “The Machine That Changed The World,” authors James…