We still have space available in our March lean manufacturing and design for manufacturability seminars and workshops. Offered on March 9th in Orange, CA and March 11th in San Diego (Carlsbad), our "Implementing Lean: An Action Plan" seminar will give you an overview of lean manufacturing plus a specific sequence of steps and initiatives comprising an action plan for achieving the productivity improvements, inventory reductions, and overall increase in cash flows that lean manufacturing provides. Topics covered include Lean Culture, Value Stream Mapping, Cellular Manufacturing, Material Flow, Lean Organization, and Kaizen Events and Tools (5-S, SMED, TPS, etc.).

More advanced training workshops such as Value Stream Mapping, Creating Continuous Flow Manufacturing Cells, Material Flow and Kanban, and Design for Manufacturability will also be presented in the San Diego and L.A./Orange County areas. Click here for details.

We also have created a survey in which you can tell us what types of courses you would like to see us offer. Click here to take our survey.

Material Flow and Kanban

Lean manufacturing is often implemented with a haphazard, cherry-picking mentality. This causes many so-called lean producers to implement manufacturing systems that are ineffective islands of production. Part shortages and expediting of parts are accepted as "normal." A true lean producer will rarely have part shortages, and expediting will be much less prevalent. As Taichi Ono observed, "When you have lots of inventory, you are always one part short." To get there, you need a lean material delivery system.

In this issue, we feature three articles. The first article is an overview of material flow and kanban. The second article talks about the conditions necessary for implementing an effective kanban system. The final article teaches effective implementation of a kanban / pull system.

The materials referenced in this newsletter will teach you more about the techniques and benefits of material flow and kanban systems. If the articles, links, and books to the left have piqued your interest and you would like to learn more, feel free to call us at 866-559-5598 or visit our website and click on "Contact Us."

Best Regards,

Darren Dolcemascolo

darrend@emsstrategies.com

David McBride

davidm@emsstrategies.com

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