| When it comes to the recession, everyone has an | | | | parts and measuring changeover times, thereby |
| opinion. Writer Kurt Andersen's viewpoint on the | | | | decreasing wasted time, resources and ultimately |
| subject is a unique - and a rare optimistic - one. This | | | | money so that factories can continue thrive in spite of |
| author of Reset: How This Crisis Can Restore Our | | | | the economy. |
| Values and Renew America was recently interviewed | | | | How does such a system truly contribute to lean |
| by USA Today. In assessing the financial crisis, he | | | | manufacturing? The following functionalities are critical |
| points back to the Reagan era as the source of the | | | | to such success: |
| problem. | | | | 1. Accessibility to all factory floor employees |
| "We turned the United States into a winner-take-all | | | | empowers them to identify problem situations before |
| casino economy, substituting the gambling hall for the | | | | they spiral out of control. |
| factory floor as our governing metaphor," he writes to | | | | 2. A just in time (JIT) approach dynamically reacts to |
| the newspaper. That gambling "ended in a cascading | | | | customer and floor demands. |
| global financial crisis," the publication goes on to point | | | | 3. Tracking of changeover times to specific assets |
| out. "But Andersen ... is confident the nation will rebound | | | | and employees helps identify ineffectual spending and |
| stronger than ever." | | | | workforce. |
| So what of this metaphorical factory floor of which he | | | | 4. Identification and recording of opportunities for |
| speaks? The excesses of the 1980s led to unbridled | | | | process improvement enable future follow-up and |
| consumer spending. Factories responded to the | | | | implementation. |
| demand by loosening the reins on their floor. Then, "the | | | | 5. Giving floor personnel access to communications |
| age of excess ended with the collapse of Lehman | | | | such as e-mail when appropriate affords them an |
| Bros. in September 2008, imperiling the global | | | | opportunity to keep the rest of the factory staff up to |
| economy," USA Today points out. | | | | speed on what is transpiring on the shop floor so they |
| Suddenly, shockwaves are rippling across the factory | | | | can adjust accordingly. |
| floor and the problem isn't just an American one either. | | | | 6. Electronic, paperless display of electronic image and |
| It's being felt globally. Indeed, the UK's Telegraph | | | | video documents allows operators to access data |
| newspaper reported in November 2008, "Ripples of | | | | expediently so they can make on-the-spot decisions |
| recession spread out from factory floor to barber | | | | that improve overall factory efficiency. |
| shop," dragging both consumer and shop floor | | | | 7. Quality checks are captured electronically in real |
| confidence through the mud. | | | | time so that employees can be alerted to |
| Lean manufacturing technology just might prove the | | | | nonconformance conditions and alter them accordingly. |
| rebound impetus of which Andersen speaks. A | | | | "What chance is there America will reset policy in |
| real-time data collection system that provides job | | | | accord with Andersen's vision? A cynic would say no |
| tracking and factory floor control could spell an | | | | chance, convinced that the next boom cycle is in the |
| economic recovery jumpstart. How? An electronic | | | | offing and the seeds of excess are already being |
| shop floor system can help companies move | | | | planted," the USA Today article concludes. That cynical |
| successfully toward lean manufacturing with lean | | | | apparently hasn't looked into the latest factory floor |
| concepts of identifying problems, following the flow of | | | | innovation. |