Go With the Lean Flow

Steve Melito Guru Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2970 Good Answers: 33	Go With the Lean Flow 12/08/2006 8:36 AM
	Most medical device manufacturers have not implemented lean production because they can't envision where such principles fit in their challenging environment. As argued in Medical Design Technology, adoption of lean manufacturing must lead to operational excellence wherein employees clearly see the flow of value to the customer and keep that flow running smoothly. Value stream mapping connects processes and provides a lean flow to the customer with little waste. Read how lean flow was created in a value stream at Sapphire Engineering, resulting in smaller batch sizes, enhanced product quality, and improved financial performance. How can a lean system benefit your manufacturing operations?
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	Pathfinder Tags: JIT lean manufacturing QA QC value streams

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aurizon Guru Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 3968 Good Answers: 119	#1 Re: Go With the Lean Flow 12/09/2006 10:15 AM
	Most medical machine makers exist in a highly regulated environment with various layers of safety assurance for patient and staff making production runs short and prices high. These are also a huge barrier to competitive entry and many ward or OR approved items cost 4x or more than their consumer equivalent(if any). A simple VCR used to record scan data becomes a $3000 piece by being equipped with a special AC plug and having a few internal power supply parts added, and the certification stucker. They are part of ultrasound carts. A lot of items have no consumer counterpart. They are part if the high cost of medicine. A lot of it is a racket caued by the high cost of entry keeping many players out of the market that would drive down price.s __________________ Per Ardua Ad Astra
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