Engineering a Lean Supply Chain

This introductory program explores the business practice of supply chain collaboration and explains how companies are "leaning" their supply chain. For expert advice, we spoke with Greg Hutchins - a principal with Quality Plus Engineering in Portland, Oregon, and the author of "Supply Management Strategies." New competitive pressures have made all manufacturing companies realize they need to be part of a supply chain and focus their business on the part of the process they do best. The constant flow of materials and information within these supply chains can contain a large amount of waste if not managed properly. We will show why collaboration between customers and suppliers is so important and where you can find waste in your supply chain. Main points: Find out why supply chain collaboration has become so important, Learn steps you can take to discover the waste in your supply chain, See how to define your company's "core competencies," Get expert advice on the actions you can take to improve your supply chain, Identify design deficiencies, and avoid waste in your supply chain BEFORE it is created.