Is Money the Factor That Can Improve Society Assignment

Is Money the Factor That Can Improve Society - Assignment Example Muda, Japanese for waste, can come in many forms--all of which either add nothing to the finished product or nothing for which the customer is willing to pay. A few examples follow:   Transportation. Any required transportation of products or parts adds nothing from the customer's perspective. Therefore, it should be minimized or eliminated. It's common for plant redesign or reorganization to be among the first steps in a lean effort.   Overproduction. This occurs when a part or product is manufactured before it's needed--either before a customer has ordered it or before it can begin the next process in the production system. This results in a backlog of material that must be stored, which adds unnecessary expense and inefficiency. A truly lean enterprise isn't dependent upon speculative market forecasting for determining production runs.Work in progress. WIP can be caused by overproduction, poor scheduling or long and uneven cycle times. Lean companies ensure that each manufacturing process takes roughly the same amount of time by adjusting the processes themselves or the resources dedicated to each. Additionally, suppliers must be held accountable for the reliable delivery of their shipments.Also inherent to a lean production system is the idea of continuous improvement. The lean executive recognizes waste in any form as a singular enemy, the fighting of which is his or her primary responsibility. Because every p rocess includes some waste, the elimination of all waste is an unattainable goal. On the other hand, lean optimists recognize that this truth means the benefits of a lean system - if diligently pursued - are inexhaustible, too.