Manufacturer tests Lean on broader supply chain

ETM Manufacturing, a sheet metal producer, has used Lean practices and concepts to improve internal operations and product quality since 2009. Now, the company is looking to test Lean in a broader sense by applying it to the extended supply chain.

One strategy the company hopes to apply is the improvement of workflow. In a manufacturing setting, this might include steps such as making conveyor belts sequential so workers don't have to move parts across the factory. In a supply chain, that could mean improving the way information flows to different points.

“We've seen – as so many others have – the value that lean manufacturing principles can deliver within our own operation,” said Rob Olney, president of ETM Manufacturing. “Now, with this project, we're aiming to demonstrate that there's a lot more opportunity for improvement, and ultimately value for our customers, that can be gained if all stakeholders in the process work in a lean model.”

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