Q
Has Lean Manufacturing put on weight due to Middle Age ??????
Having spent many years within both Automotive and FMCG companies exhorting the virtues of “Lean” is “Best” it always amazes me that when you speak to CEO’s etc the first thing they envisage is labour reductions, this in their opinion is the best way to achieve lean.
Even when you explain that as a percentage the direct Labour cost might only be 10 –15% of the overall manufacturing cost !! – There are much bigger fish to fry.
The integration of Lean manufacturing into most organisations start with either the CEO or Finance director (VP or Vice VP or Assistant to the Vice VP – for our American cousins) spending a number of very informative days at a local 5* Hotel (with Golf Course) and returning with this new Vision, they then get together the operational team and instruct them to get on with it. A bit cynical I know but you all must see the odd thread in my ranting’s.
Well lets get to the crux of the matter, I have an opinion, this is that unless the Senior Management Team within an organisation can make the shift to Reflective Management prior to the introduction of Lean they are doomed with failure in the long term.
What do I mean by Reflective Management, this is the ability to look inward as well as outward to bring an holistic approach to Management and Manufacturing, not the “We Love you all and want to be your friends” approach but a more inclusive style that truly takes on some of the ethos of Kaizen, Gemba and Hoshin Kanri not that as a European I am fully indoctrinated by the Japanese manufacturing principle, but I envy their simplicity and openness.
I would welcome to hear from anyone – or company that has approached Lean in this Reflective manner as I am currently researching this topic for my Msc.
Having spent many years within both Automotive and FMCG companies exhorting the virtues of “Lean” is “Best” it always amazes me that when you speak to CEO’s etc the first thing they envisage is labour reductions, this in their opinion is the best way to achieve lean.
Even when you explain that as a percentage the direct Labour cost might only be 10 –15% of the overall manufacturing cost !! – There are much bigger fish to fry.
The integration of Lean manufacturing into most organisations start with either the CEO or Finance director (VP or Vice VP or Assistant to the Vice VP – for our American cousins) spending a number of very informative days at a local 5* Hotel (with Golf Course) and returning with this new Vision, they then get together the operational team and instruct them to get on with it. A bit cynical I know but you all must see the odd thread in my ranting’s.
Well lets get to the crux of the matter, I have an opinion, this is that unless the Senior Management Team within an organisation can make the shift to Reflective Management prior to the introduction of Lean they are doomed with failure in the long term.
What do I mean by Reflective Management, this is the ability to look inward as well as outward to bring an holistic approach to Management and Manufacturing, not the “We Love you all and want to be your friends” approach but a more inclusive style that truly takes on some of the ethos of Kaizen, Gemba and Hoshin Kanri not that as a European I am fully indoctrinated by the Japanese manufacturing principle, but I envy their simplicity and openness.
I would welcome to hear from anyone – or company that has approached Lean in this Reflective manner as I am currently researching this topic for my Msc.
Last edited by a moderator: