Does it include Six Sigma, flexible manufacturing, plug-and-play?
Clark: Yes. Six Sigma is a tool used to achieve a lean environment. Six Sigma is the use of measurements and analysis to achieve the intended result and further control the manufacturing environment. Flexible (agile) manufacturing is the direction that most lean initiatives have gone. Plug-and-play type systems allow a manufacturer to integrate new extensions to a process with minimal intrusion or expense. From this, lean manufacturing can become very expensive due to companies striving for advanced technologies in areas where a simpler, less automated system would have sufficed. IEN: Does lean manufacturing require significant automation? Clark: No. Lean manufacturing is intended to simplify the entire operation through elimination of excessive steps and waste. Automation is only an optional solution to the problem. In some cases, automation has been eliminated in the best interest of lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing has forced companies to implement “smart” automation solutions
