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How Online Ordering Supports Lean Management Goals
Lean production, also known as lean manufacturing or simply “lean”, is based on creating efficiency by optimizing flow. The production practice is founded on a process management philosophy derived from Toyota in the 1990’s. The four goals of lean management are to:
1. Improve quality
2. Eliminate waste
3. Reduce time
4. Reduce total costs
The concepts of lean production and its inherent just-in-time (JIT) delivery can be successfully applied to the fulfillment of training materials. This business strategy seeks to reduce costs by reducing material inventories. The application of internet-driven technology solutions to allow for rapid delivery and flexible change orders has further enabled companies to achieve lean goals.
Although the JIT concept has been around since Henry Ford introduced it in early automobile production, one problem has plagued successful implementation. The entire JIT process relies on the use of historical demand to predict future need. With today’s unpredictable business conditions, using historical demand data can have serious consequences.
The application of online ordering and print on demand principles to the JIT process has allowed for maximum flexibility in rapidly responding to fluctuating demand. The results are reduced price and quality volatility and improved supply stability. The obvious benefits of using online ordering in conjunction with a company’s lean goals is the ability to receive materials within very short turnaround times, make rapid changes to materials, create custom orders, and eliminate excess, outdated materials.
For training materials specifically, online ordering and print on demand provides:
• Improved quality control with the establishment of printing benchmarks and standards
• Single source purchasing that reduces time spent on multiple vendor sourcing
• Reduced administrative time through permissions-based ordering that accommodates multiple locations and/or individuals
• Reduction of waste from production, storage and disposal of old versions of documents
• Next day delivery around the world
• Significant reductions in costs inherent in empty training seats, missing, incorrect or outdated materials, and missed delivery deadlines
Finally, there is one additional, and significant, benefit to online ordering—the ability to address a company’s environmental concerns by meeting three JIT waste guidelines:
1. Time —reduce time goods are in transit, lowering the rate at which fossil fuels are burned
2. Inventory—decrease large supplies of materials that can quickly become outdated
3. Scrap—eliminate supplies of outdated documents
Read the case study that illustrates how online ordering helped a Fortune 500 power management company gain efficiency and 100% on time delivery of their technical manuals that incorporate complex assemblies of handouts and equipment schematics.
Zebra Print Solutions’ services are uniquely suited for education and training departments that require error-free production and fulfillment of materials for classes, courses, and training sessions. The quality control processes and advanced technology we deploy provide our clients with a 99.5% accuracy rating.
In addition, we offer fully automated training material efulfillment with a direct interface to your Learning Management Systems (LMS) and/or registration system. Our advanced technical experience working with many training registration systems provides a complete and seamless solution.
Contact Charlotte DiLeonardo to discuss your unique needs.