There is a common lean phrase, “Bad systems beat good people.” Sometimes it is attributed to Dr. W. Edwards Deming although it isn’t actually his quote. I’ve used it for 20 years but couldn’t tell you if I heard it or was paraphrasing Dr. Deming’s teaching. The sentiment is that […]

Business professionals can now get certification in Lean Six Sigma, the methodology that emerged from Japan and has been used to streamline manufacturing and other business operations to eliminate waste. Indiana University Northwest is now offering both intermediate- and expert-level certifications known as green and black belts to its business […]

ORLANDO – It may be surprising to hear a chief information officer champion something other than a technological achievement, but Chuck Spurr is all about processes these days. “You have to take a hard honest look at what you are doing today. Six Sigma is good at that,” said the […]

We are collaborating with Proto Labs, one of the leading service providers in the digital manufacturing industry, to answer your questions about digital manufacturing processes, specifically relating to injection moulding, CNC machining and 3D printing. We already know that digital manufacturing is helping engineers save time and money, while increasing […]

Eric Lussier, vice president, Steel Business System, for Steel Partners, is adamant that training is key to developing a sustainable lean culture. “Culture is the only thing that is sustainable,” he told IndustryWeek last year in Lessons in Lean Training. “That is why we have such a heavy emphasis on […]

Both manufacturing automation and lean manufacturing have the same goals: to satisfy customers at the lowest possible cost. To achieve these goals, both disciplines address removing low-value or nonvalue activities, reducing waste and producing predictable quality. Yet even many accomplished manufacturing professionals have trouble reconciling the two disciplines. Here are […]

I’ve been involved in manufacturing since 1967, initially as a manufacturing engineer in a precision machine shop and later managing multimillion dollar programs. Not to brag on myself, but I’ve met many smart people! Initially our goal was limited to meeting quality requirements, by getting through quality inspections and testing […]

Following the Prime Minister’s clarification on the UK’s likely post-Brexit relationship with the EU, Britain’s manufacturing sector will be looking to determine what the future holds in store outside the single market. UK manufacturing is currently robust, with the sector ranked 11th in the world, responsible for 54 percent of […]

EMS firm MC Assembly recently presented its lean manufacturing journey during Neptune Technology Group’s annual supplier symposium, an annual event where key suppliers of Neptune Technology Group gather to review the achievements and goals for the coming year. “For us, this is an opportunity for the company to bring its […]

At Lyall, we’ve been manufacturing components in the natural gas distribution industry for over 45 years, and we’ve spent the past 16 of those years implementing lean manufacturing principles in everything we do. As you can imagine, we’ve had quite a few conversations about lean practices with colleagues in the […]