Monica Truelsch

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…

Stay up to date on all the latest conversations, interviews, and episodes we released this week here at Supply Chain Now! We started this week off with a very special episode of Supply Chain Now. Host Scott Luton and special co-host Allison Giddens get to converse with a pair of very powerful women in the manufacturing business. Scott and Allison talk with Stacey Schroeder the President and Founder of EVelop; and the Value Improvement Project Engineer at Polaris Industries, Coral Huffmaster. Together they discuss the Key Takeaways from the 2021 Women in Manufacturing Summit. For Monday’s This Week In Business History episode, Kelly Barner explores a car invention that was created over 120 years ago. On Tuesday, we released a new episode of Supply Chain Now with Scott Luton and Greg White. This episode features two of Manhattan Associates’ reputable representatives. Rob Schaefer the Vice President of Transportation Management Sales and Gregg Lanyard the Director of Product Management for Manhattan Associates. During this episode, they all offer their perspectives on the supply chain outlook for 2022. On Wednesday we released an episode of Logistics With Purpose with host Enrique Alvarez and Kristi Porter. This episode features Michael Broidy the Senior…