Overview

For some time now Japanese manufacturers have been one of the more formidable competitors in the globally competitive manufacturing environment. On the other hand, their successes are no longer limited exclusively to them. Manufacturing operations in countries around the world have begun a relentless commitment to a new system of production that significantly enhances product quality, employee productivity, and customer satisfaction. While this system is built on the key principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS) or the just-in-time (JIT) operating philosophy, understanding and implementing the physical dynamics of JIT is only one small step in the right direction. For any firm seeking to achieve global competitiveness, lasting change must include a complete and absolute reformation to the entire system of production a change of thinking from mass production to lean production.

The approach differs somewhat, but the premise of globally competitive manufacturing is a system of production that clearly defines wastes, highly utilizes its employees in a battle against those wastes, and constantly strives for continuous improvement. Yet most U.S. manufacturers still see their competition as a direct competitor or series of competitors rather than their system of production. If they focused as much attention on their operations it would be much easier for them to accept the need to completely transform their manufacturing arena and bring it into the lean production era. Instead, many companies continue basing their business strategies on analyzing their direct competition and/or performing what is commonly referred to as benchmarking best in class. Benchmarking...