Becoming lean key to health.(Opinion)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Plastics News, September, 2002 by Jones, Brian

Byline: Brian Jones It has been a brutal past 18 months for American manufacturers. Some parts of the economy, like real estate, were able to slide through the recession with little effect, but manufacturers were hit hard. Product demand slowed, inventory stacked up and jobs were cut back.

The recession has made crystal clear that some companies were better prepared for a downturn than others. In my frequent travels across the United States for my employer and the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, I talk with many manufacturers, and the shops more able to keep their heads above water have all done the same thing - they've adopted lean manufacturing principles to streamline operations. The world automotive market, for example, has been in a tailspin...

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