LEAN Logistics
History and Principles of LEAN
In the mid 1950s Taiichi Ohno started developing the methodology and principles of the Lean Manufacturing Approach in the form of the Toyota Production System (TPS) and to implement it at Toyota in the automobile assembly line production, which at that time was extremely unprogressive and of inferior quality.
The essential principle of the LEAN Manufacturing Approach is the implementation of the workflow in which all work sequences throughout all corporate functions are standardized and continuously optimized – holistically integrated without department, division or country boundaries.
The Four Basic Rules of LEAN
| 1. | All work must be standardized to a high degree in terms of content, workflow and timing. |
| 2. | All customer and vendor relationships (external and internal) have to be direct, and there must be a clear yes/no procedure. |
| 3. | The pathway for every product and service has to be simple and direct. |
| 4. | All improvements have to be carried out in accordance with the standardized methodology and under the supervision of the “teacher” (Sensei) on the lowest possible organizational level. |
The Schnellecke LEAN Philosophy and Strategy
Through the consequent and corporate-wide implementation of the Schnellecke Logistics Excellence Program, as well as its anchoring as an essential part of the corporate philosophy and strategy, the competitiveness and productivity are increased in the first step, and in the long-term also the value of the company.
The increased productivity and error reduction, and the reduction of the reaction times and the transparency of all corporate functions and processes achieved by this are important factors in the competition for customers and market share. We see in these factors decisive competitive advantages for the future for our customers and our companies.
The four basic principles of LEAN Thinking put the focus on the customers and their individual needs, as well as on an optimal and continuously improved logistics organization.
