The goal of a lean enterprise is to stop wasting time and money on activities-not just on the plant floor or in the job shop but also in the office – that have no value for its customers.

For American Licorice implementing lean meant the Alsip, Ill., plant wouldn't lose its business to a Mexican competitor. For Allied Tube and Conduit in Harvey, Ill., reducing changeover times saved the company between $2.5 and $2.8 million.

Lean is more than the physical act of eliminating waste. It's also about fundamentally changing how you do business, as this article by CMC's George Alukal writes in Quality Progress magazine. If the training and techniques of lean are implemented correctly, they can have startling effects on your business.

Lean Manufacturing can:

Reduce

• Work in process up to 90 percent
• Startup defects
• Machine downtime
• Maintenance expenditures between 10 and 50 percent
• Order turnaround time
• Part movement and inventory
• Cycle times and waiting times

Increase

• Line and machine capacity between 25 and 60 percent
• Productivity between 10 and 40 percent
• Available space up to 70 percent
• Changeover accuracy
• Sales
• Profits

Improve

• Quality between 25 and 75 percent
• Lead times up to 95 percent
• On-time delivery
• Cash flow
• Safety
• Work standardization
• Value add of workers
• Communication
• Employee moral
• Union relations

Lean doesn't have to be overwhelming to implement. The beauty of lean is its flexibility. CMC specialists can help you embrace lean in its entirety or choose specific elements to get the most immediate benefit. The choice is yours.