As my Operations Professor Elliot Weiss has said numerous times, in order to understand an issue we need to "go to gemba [the place]". Today, our entire Darden FY class went to gemba! We were split into groups in order to visit several local manufacturers so that we could learn more about how each company has implemented LEAN techniques to improve productivity and reduce muda (waste). My group visited GE - Intelligent Platforms.
Our hosts at GE provided details on their LEAN efforts as well as a factory tour. For me, the most fascinating element was how much LEAN requires organizational change management. Asking employees who have worked in a particular part of the production facility for years to switch to another location or task requires a thoughtful and detailed launch plan.
Additionally, LEAN has also become a component of software development. While Agile is also a very popular methodology , LEAN becomes almost necessary when building larger software systems across multiple teams. The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) has a great page dedicated to LEAN principles in software development.
Overall, the trip linked our Operations' class discussions on throughput rate, throughput time, and capacity to a company, its processes, and its people. I have been on factory tours before but with Darden's Operations class, I finally was able see how LEAN can change a company's greatest source of cost to its greatest competitive advantage.
Additionally, LEAN has also become a component of software development. While Agile is also a very popular methodology , LEAN becomes almost necessary when building larger software systems across multiple teams. The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) has a great page dedicated to LEAN principles in software development.
Overall, the trip linked our Operations' class discussions on throughput rate, throughput time, and capacity to a company, its processes, and its people. I have been on factory tours before but with Darden's Operations class, I finally was able see how LEAN can change a company's greatest source of cost to its greatest competitive advantage.