The term “Lean” was originally coined by top Toyota executives to describe the pared down process that adds value for both the company and the customer by incorporating waste reduction in manufacturing.
A lean waste management system is designed to continually improve all aspects of manufacturing in order to reduce material waste, decrease production costs, increase and expand production capacity and improve the effectiveness in operations management.
When an organization is lean, the process begins at the management level and continues on down to the shop floor personnel. Every employee understands the ongoing importance and continued value of improving operations by reducing material waste in order to increase efficiency.
Why is Lean Waste Management Necessary?
“Waste” is commonly defined as any action in the manufacturing process that does not add value to the customer. This can include wasted time, wasted materials as well as wasted labor.
Lean manufacturing waste reduction can keep a company healthy by identifying operational overruns to determine where there is waste and encouraging waste reduction in every aspect of the manufacturing mechanism.
The more lean a manufacturing company is, the better it can react to an ever-changing business environment.
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Using a lean process to reduce waste is becoming increasingly popular in the manufacturing space, and for good reason. Following are the main advantages for companies using lean systems:
- Increased profits – less waste in operations management means lower overheads and better use of time and resources
- Happy customers – streamlined processes due to the elimination of excess waste will result in faster and more affordable service, keeping customers happy
- Better performance – processes can be automated, saving time and creating an overall more efficient operation.
