Greetings,
Lean manufacturing is good stuff, but often badly applied. As Michael said, above, empowering employees is the weak spot. Here is my view on why that is:
Managers in the US tend to embrace the parts they understand the best...which is to say obsessive cleaning, increased monitoring and the jargon of lean. The ideas are fit into a northern European work ethic and a top-down, do-as-you're-told mentality. The idea of breaking down territories, open communication, engaged teams suggesting ideas for continuous improvement and the spirit of real teamwork is lost on them. What we're left with is clunky old fashioned time and motion studies laid on top of the same American corporate philosophy.
Also, lean's waste elimination can be counter-productive in hard times. I savaged a skid of paper last year that the lean guys were getting rid of. They tossed thousands of $ worth of paper because it wasn't lean. Now we could use that paper. Lean can also become a cult of true believers, and engender favoritism by selective training. I'm curious, David, about your thoughts.
There is an old saying for getting through hard times. Maybe Lean could find a way to incorporate it.
"Use it up. Wear it out. Make do. Do Without"
thanks,
mf.
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