Improving factory efficiency with lean manufacturing was never about the technologies — it was always about the people and their routines.
But technology can sure help today, said Bob Argyle, co-founder of Leading2Lean, a software and consulting firm in Sparks, Nev.
New technology is improving the way assembly workers and logistics teams communicate within a factory and throughout a corporation as they work to improve efficiency, Argyle told Automotive News.
Lean manufacturing, the generic term for the widely used Toyota Production System, focuses on reducing wasteful production processes by maintaining low inventories, reducing assembly steps and catching quality errors before they move downstream.
It is a seemingly simple operating system that relies heavily on training employees to follow specific procedures. But making the practices stick is tougher than it looks.
