What is Lean 2.0?

Enterprise Minnesota introduces a new way to think about Lean.

Enterprise Minnesota is introducing an eco-friendly perspective to how manufacturers think "Lean."

Director of Product Management John Connelly lays out the guiding principles of tying lean and green together in the current issue of Enterprise Minnesota magazine.

"Lean 2.0 is not meant to take the place of the traditional Lean approach," Connelly said. "Lean 2.0 is an upgrade. We're adding value by incorporating a variety of green lenses into an already successful program."

Most manufacturers understand that Lean takes a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement, by flowing product at the customer's pull. Its pursuit is focused on perfection. Nearly 70 percent of all plants have adopted Lean as an improvement methodology, according to a recent study by Industry Week and the Manufacturing Performance Institute.

The concepts of lean and green are not worlds apart. In both, the Value Stream Map (VSM) is a primary component of analyzing a process, mapping it, and discovering ways to make it more efficient. Instead of setting up separate processes for lean and green, integrating them within a tool like VSM is very easy, Connelly says.

"Green and Lean" has caught on across the nation already. More than 150 manufacturers are have participated in the Green Supplier Network, a collaboration between industry, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) that works with all levels of the supply chain to achieve environmental and economic benefits.

MEP Centers in other states are helping manufacturers tie lean and green together. Judy Wlodarczyk, director of environment and energy for Connecticut Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliate CONNSTEP, recently spoke with Minnesota companies about going green, what she describes as "a systematic approach to eliminating all wastes through continuous improvement, and flowing product at the pull of the customer while lessening impact on the environment."

She described how one Connecticut-based manufacturer evaluated its packaging system.  The company had been spending $18,000 a month on packing peanuts while also spending nearly $300 a month to recycle cardboard boxes shipped to their facility from suppliers. Realizing that they could reuse a waste product, the company purchased a shredding machine to turn their cardboard boxes into a packaging material. Now the company is being green and saving over $18,000 annually.

Now, with Lean 2.0, Enterprise Minnesota hopes to help manufacturers in this state see that same type of increased efficiency and cost savings, says Connelly.

"We're taking Enterprise Minnesota's philosophy of examining an entire business and mapping out how the whole system should move forward," Connelly said. "We want to apply that philosophy to Lean and green, which are often handled as two different things. Companies shouldn't have to choose; they can make something leaner and greener at the same time."

Read more in Enterprise Minnesota magazine "Introducing Lean 2.0."

Boost Work Performance Through New Safety Solutions

When: June 24, 2009, 8:00am - 11:00am
Where: RJF Agencies (map)
Cost: Early Bird Rate $79 (extended to June 17), Group Rate 4 for $237, or Regular $110
Continental breakfast provided.



Who should attend:
CEOs, General Managers, CFOs, CIOs, VPs, Mid Level Managers, & Supervisors

What to expect:
Discover how best practices for safety affect your bottom line and deliver Return on Investment (ROI). Accidents cause injuries, damages to equipment, scrap, lost time, and decreased morale. Hear from industry experts about how to engage employees in identifying and eliminating potential hazards, and analyzing the chain of events that lead to accidents and hazardous situations.

Presenters:

Register online today!

For questions or more information email events@enterpriseminnesota.org or call our events line at 612.455.4239.