Creation of an Effective Manufacturing Supply Chain Utilizing Lean Best Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this experimental case study is to define best practices in supply chain and describe the effect of improvements in manufacturing efficiencies. It is essential to embed "Lean," "Agile" and "Intelligent" techniques within an organization's supply chain principles, which drive the ultimate crucial goal to eliminate non-value-added activities at all levels in order to satisfy the customer and reduce wasted cost for all involved in the process. To be competitive in today's business environment, manufacturers and industries must focus on customer gratification by providing high-quality performance and on-time delivery. The case study in this research describes how process improvements within supply chain and warehousing results in logistics flexibility and on-time delivery for internal and external customers. The paper also defines how Lean methodologies such as Kanban, kitting, and sequencing reduce lead / order time, and how an optimized process flow that considers utilizing warehouse space or location relates to organizational success by providing end customer satisfaction. Data generated in this paper has been validated using the Student t-test to statistically determine that improvement occurred with the application of the described principles.