A Look at Lean Manufacturing Success with “FIT”

In many ways, your company is a living, breathing organism. Think of your product as the food that keeps your company going. This means that the key to being financially healthy is to have the appropriate amount of product at all times.

Fat

Have you ever overbought materials only to be left with a lot of excess taking up room in the stockroom? Sitting on too much product means you’re losing money on storage and excess inventory. It also makes it easier to lose track of mislabeled or misplaced inventory as new stock arrives. Supply chain mistakes like these canThis can result in major losses for your company. If you’re in this situation, it’s time to figure out how and where to trim the fat.

FIT

If your manufacturing business is FIT, it’s operating optimally. By balancing intake and output, your company is taking in just the right amount of calories to achieve ideal financial health. FIT manufacturing accepts the fact that every organism, including a company, will produce some level of waste. Instead of trying to eliminate waste entirely, FIT manufacturing focuses on efficiently directing the energy within your business to create the results you desire.

Frail

Are you struggling to keep up with the demand from your customers? If your business is frail, your stockroom looks bare, and your company is struggling just to stay afloat. Most likely, you are short on raw materials, finished product, and/or personnel. When your company is feeling a little anorexic, it’s time to reevaluate and figure out how to expand your resources to improve your FITness.

Finished

It happens. Sometimes a company passes the point of no return where there’s simply no opportunity to gain or shed the weight needed to get FIT. Though it’s not something any company wants to face, sometimes it’s in your best interest to close the doors and walk away.

Taking time to regularly assess your company’s resources to determine its fitness level is an important step toward achieving your goals. If you’re not sure whether your company is doing what it takes to be FIT, the knowledgeable professionals at Cornerstone Consulting Organization can help. Contact us to get started!