Joerg Walden

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…

It’s time for Supply Chain Now! Make sure you’re up to date on all the latest episodes, interviews, conversations, and livestreams right here!   On Monday, Tracie Ohonme & Angela Carlson with Samaritan’s Feet International joined us to talk about how their outreach has shifted due to COVID-19, leading with a servant-leader mentality, & more!     On Tuesday, Scott and Greg welcomed, VP of Client Solutions with Alloy, Logan Ensign, a business leader from an industry dynamo that is empowering companies to successfully bridge the gap between plans and reality.     On Wednesday, Mike Griswold, VP Analyst at Gartner, joined us to discuss the latest in retail supply chains from an analyst’s perspective.   On Thursday, Scott and Greg welcomed Jon Gold with NRF to share the key NRF takeaways and trade issues to keep an eye on.   On Friday, we replayed a recent livestream that kicked off our new partnership with The Assoication for Manufacturing Excellence (AME). Scott & Greg heard from Lee Alves with Simpler Consulting (an IBM Company), Jan Freyburgher with OpusWorks, Tony Spielberg with Cambridge Air Solutions, and Errette Dunn with Rever about the prevailing trends may drive manufacturing in 2021. Which was…