There are some certain practices in a lean process that all organizations should have. It is
important to eliminate waste throughout the whole production process and down even to
the supply chain. However the entire organization has to be on board with lean
implementation, this includes not only the employees but also the decision makers. If the
decision makers don’t agree with the implementation of the lean process and they are not
pushing it to the people they manage, it will not be successful and they will not see the
results they desire in the end.
There are key factors of lean implementation. The organization must include the following
practices:
• Just in Time
• Total Quality Management
• Total Productive Maintenance
• Continuous Improvement
• Design for Manufacturing and Assembly
• Supplier Management
• Communication Management with Employees and Supply Chain
It is seen in this example, not every company will be able to implement these processes on
the first attempt. This process will have to continually be refined and refinished to help
meet the demands of each specific organization. The organization should not give up but
be willing to adjust the process over and over again to make it more efficient.
There were several mistakes made during the first attempt at lean production. First,
management failed to bring in a consultant with experience to help them implement
successfully. Second, the employees weren’t sold on the idea or empowered with the tools
to succeed. Finally, the concept was implemented from the bottom up rather than from the
top down. During the second attempt, the main flaw, which was adjusted later, was the
