lean logistics

How a Ukrainian company modernized itself using lean

array(3) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7268 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(104)
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "Interviews"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(10) "interviews"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(104)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(154)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7267 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(2424)
    ["name"]=>
    string(15) "Lean Production"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(15) "lean-production"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(2424)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(1593) "The term “lean production” refers to the set of tools and techniques used to streamline and improve a company’s production system. With its roots in the Toyota Production System, lean production aims to boost productivity while reducing waste. Companies that successfully embrace lean production methods can achieve impressive improvements in their performance. The superiority of a lean production system was first identified by Womack and Jones during their research on Japanese carmakers. Initially, it was believed that lean was only applicable to production, whereas today we know those principles can be applied in any sector.

With more and more organizations (not just manufacturing firms) turning to automation to try and solve every-day problems, lean production offers an approach that gives the operators and their work the dignity they deserve. This idea is best expressed by the concept of the andon, a cord hanging above lean production lines that operators can pull whenever they encounter a problem they can’t solve right way (this is the base of the fundamental lean principles of jidoka, “automation with a human touch”). Lean is clearly an alternative to reckless management that considers people as mere capital.

The main characteristics of a lean production system are the fact the different stages of production happen in a sequence without interruptions (known as flow) and that the pace of production is set by the customers (pull)."
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2418)
    ["count"]=>
    int(16)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  [2]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7266 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(117)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Profiles"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "profiles"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(117)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(150)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

InterviewsJan 9, 2018

Petro Pylypyuk

INTERVIEW – In this Q&A, the CEO of a Ukrainian provider of equipment for stores shares how lean thinking has helped his company modernize its processes and engage its people.

Inventory reduction and pulled supply in a Brazilian factory

array(2) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7267 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Features"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "features"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(269)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7266 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(2424)
    ["name"]=>
    string(15) "Lean Production"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(15) "lean-production"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(2424)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(1593) "The term “lean production” refers to the set of tools and techniques used to streamline and improve a company’s production system. With its roots in the Toyota Production System, lean production aims to boost productivity while reducing waste. Companies that successfully embrace lean production methods can achieve impressive improvements in their performance. The superiority of a lean production system was first identified by Womack and Jones during their research on Japanese carmakers. Initially, it was believed that lean was only applicable to production, whereas today we know those principles can be applied in any sector.

With more and more organizations (not just manufacturing firms) turning to automation to try and solve every-day problems, lean production offers an approach that gives the operators and their work the dignity they deserve. This idea is best expressed by the concept of the andon, a cord hanging above lean production lines that operators can pull whenever they encounter a problem they can’t solve right way (this is the base of the fundamental lean principles of jidoka, “automation with a human touch”). Lean is clearly an alternative to reckless management that considers people as mere capital.

The main characteristics of a lean production system are the fact the different stages of production happen in a sequence without interruptions (known as flow) and that the pace of production is set by the customers (pull)."
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2418)
    ["count"]=>
    int(16)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

FeaturesNov 9, 2017

Ricardo Avila, Douglas Agassi & Alexandre Cardoso

FEATURE – Inventory reduction is critical to waste elimination. Yet, many are reluctant to do it, fearing demand variability and production instability will neutralize their efforts. Grupo Sabó's story proves otherwise.

What informs disaster recovery efforts at Toyota

array(2) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7262 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Features"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "features"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(269)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7263 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(2356)
    ["name"]=>
    string(6) "Toyota"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(6) "toyota"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(2356)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2348)
    ["count"]=>
    int(25)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

FeaturesAug 7, 2017

Takahiro Fujimoto

FEATURE – Much has been said and written about Toyota’s ability to recover from disasters. What many don’t realize, however, is that the company’s recovery strategy is informed by its underlying values – not just its tools.

How John Deere Iberica is developing a lean supply chain

array(2) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#9345 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(104)
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "Interviews"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(10) "interviews"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(104)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(154)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7299 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(117)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Profiles"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "profiles"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(117)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(150)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

InterviewsDec 13, 2016

Ángel Sanz Fernández

INTERVIEW – For the past year, agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere Ibérica has worked to spread lean thinking to the supply chain. We met with them in Madrid to understand how they’re going about it.

Japanese culture and lean culture: not always the same

array(1) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7298 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Features"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "features"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(269)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

FeaturesNov 11, 2016

Katie Anderson

FEATURE – How many times do we hear people say lean is not for them because “it’s a Japanese thing”? After spending 18 months in Japan, the author explains why the country’s culture is not necessarily "lean by nature".

Revolutionizing warehousing in a hospital with lean thinking

array(2) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7268 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Features"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "features"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(269)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7318 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(2421)
    ["name"]=>
    string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(15) "lean-healthcare"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(2421)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.

Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.

Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2418)
    ["count"]=>
    int(60)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

FeaturesSep 8, 2016

Jonny Mooi & Wiebe Nijdam

FEATURE – The warehousing department of a Dutch hospital has been implementing lean for a few years. Its Head of Logistics believes in an approach to change based on respect for people and on making small but steady steps.

Think and see like a child to achieve your lean potential

array(2) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7284 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(104)
    ["name"]=>
    string(10) "Interviews"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(10) "interviews"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(104)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(154)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7283 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(117)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Profiles"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "profiles"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(117)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(150)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

InterviewsAug 31, 2016

Roberto Priolo

PROFILE – Children can dream big. They always have a million questions and are not afraid of making mistakes. So why are we not thinking more like them? It turns out it might be a great way to unleash our full potential as lean leaders.

Lean thinking to make a disastrous ERP rollout a success

array(1) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#7232 (11) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["name"]=>
    string(8) "Features"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(8) "features"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(102)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "category"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(2343)
    ["count"]=>
    int(269)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
    ["term_order"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
}

FeaturesJan 21, 2016

Klaus Petersen

FEATURE ARTICLE – Danish company Solar has applied lean management principles to the rollout of a new ERP system to gradually strengthen the ties between an isolated IT department and the rest of the organization.

Receive Articles in your Inbox

Connect with us

We are also here