While Lean manufacturing drives a culture of efficiency, Six Sigma provides strong analytical tools as companies move beyond initial Lean manufacturing implementations. While EPIC Technologies has taken a holistic approach to Lean manufacturing, there is always room for improvement.
Anyone with a smartphone, tablet or digital camera recognizes that electronic devices are getting smaller. And, consumer delight with smaller electronics drives miniaturization trends in other industries.
Successfully competing in the market still means having the high-quality products your market wants, when and where they want them. However, the new twist is competing globally for available material, while maintaining enough operational efficiency to price competitively and still make a profit.
My columns have traditionally discussed the choices that EPIC has made in its Lean manufacturing strategy implementation. What hasn’t been covered is the basic groundwork analysis every company should go through when considering whether Lean is a good fit.