Advantages to Lean Manufacturing

As the business world continues to find ways to boost profits by cutting costs, lean manufacturing has become an attractive solution. Keeping production lean not only speeds up the process, it cuts down on waste. It is a process that Toyota developed decades ago and has been adapted by many businesses since. Here are some of the key advantages to embracing the lean manufacturing philosophy.

Value to the Customer

By learning about your customers’ needs through various forms of market research you can assess the value of your product as perceived by your target customers. By focusing on what consumers expect and want, you can refine your product so that unnecessary costs in raw materials and production are reduced or eliminated.

Less Waste

One of the most obvious goals of lean manufacturing is not just to cut waste but to prevent it from happening. Many times waste results from overproduction of too many products that end up in inventory, which runs up storage costs. By analyzing your target market and setting tighter projections, you can prevent excess product from tying up time, space and money. When you avoid producing waste in the first place, you will not have the problem of moving extra inventory if it starts to create clutter. It will also save you from possible losses due to unexpected market downturns.

Better Quality

Streamlining your products to reduce unnecessary elements will improve quality and help pave the way towards better profits. The more your production process is streamlined, the lower the chance that defects will emerge. This will increase the reputation of your product. Since you will be speeding up the production process, you will be able to get your products to your customers quicker. Ultimately, better quality products will build stronger loyalty with buyers.

Greater Workforce Efficiency

Another key advantage to lean manufacturing is that it allows you to use your workforce more efficiently. One person, for example, can learn to handle different jobs instead of the company paying for a bigger crew with more specialized skills. Maximizing all resources is a major key to making lean manufacturing work. Here at Swanton Welding we offer custom welding and fabrication work which emphasizes the expertise and skill of our workforce. While larger scale companies might be able to achieve a higher degree of lean manufacturing, customized work can provide a greater degree of client satisfaction without sacrificing speed or quality.

Faster Business Growth

A business will grow much faster if it is not bogged down with high overhead and production costs. Orders will flow faster as you can provide customers with shorter lead times for more reliable products at lower prices. Freeing up inventory will allow you to concentrate more on the future and save more money for development and marketing.

Lean manufacturing is a concept that can make the difference between a financially struggling company and a vibrant enterprise with strong employee morale. By paying attention to what satisfies your customers the most, you can eliminate the elements that lead to waste and higher production costs. Lean also means operating within your means and not falling into the trap of over-staffing, which runs up even more costs. Keeping your business lean will ultimately help increase your profit margin and take your company to another level.