Chesterton’s Fence serves as a symbolic reminder that what may appear unnecessary or obsolete at first glance may have a purpose integral to the system.
Occasionally a low-cost change comes along that generates massive savings. At Toyota Motor Corp.’s assembly plant in Buffalo, WV, the manufacturing team came up with just such an extraordinary innovation.
As the auto industry evolves to electric vehicles, Toyota has been forced to retool its production strategy using a combination of cutting-edge technology and old-school lean thinking.
GREENVILLE, SC—When COVID began impacting the world, Ubillus and his team took advantage of the lull to streamline their processes using lean, the management philosophy at the heart of GE's turnaround. "Lean's core purpose is to eliminate waste, with respect for people as the foundation," Ubillus says. For a manufacturing plant like Greenville, that means getting the most out of their equipment, inventory, space, and time.
QUEBEC CITY—Flexpipe, a manufacturer and distributor of modular steel framing structures and material handling systems, has launched Lean Maker Academy, a free online certification program designed to teach workers to assemble modular system equipment for lean manufacturing.