Janan Knust

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…

Listen up! Catch up on all the latest episodes, interviews, conversations, and livestreams from this week right here. On Monday, we released 3 new episodes! On Supply Chain Now, hosts Scott Luton and Ben Harris welcomed Colton Griffin, CEO of Flourish Software, to talk about how the supply chain for cannabis operates and how it could influence the modern supply chain. On This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton dives into 10 things that you may not know about the Suez Canal, a modern engineering marvel that has been the subject of global fascination recently. On Supply Chain Now en Espanol, hosts Enrique and Jose Miguel welcome Ignacio Alcalde with TW Logistica to the podcast. On Tuesday, we released 2 new episodes. On this episode of TEKTOK, powered by Supply Chain Now, hosts Karin Bursa and Scott Luton welcome Transplace CEO Frank McGuigan to the podcast to discuss how disruptions drive supply chain innovations and advancements. On TECHquila Sunrise, host Greg White sat down with Peter Stangeland, Chief Commercial Officer of DB Schenker, to talk about the exciting progress his teams have made in clearing the path to sustainability through innovative forms of transportation and his advice for…