Lean Manufacturing Software

An increasing number of companies are incorporating lean manufacturing software into their operations. Digital platforms can perform complex supply chain calculations and scenario modeling in seconds. They are being used to identify lean improvement opportunities and then manage their implementation. So, how can software help businesses to achieve their objectives? In this article, we examine how manufacturing software can support lean principles and improve business efficiency.

What Is It?

Lean manufacturing software is a tool that streamlines your efficiency and processes. It’s usually a cloud-based platform that connects with your production line machinery and warehouse management systems to maximize productivity. Some lean manufacturing tools integrate with mobile devices like tablets and cell phones to allow usage on the go, from anywhere with an internet connection.

So, what exactly does it do? In short, it helps manufacturing organizations to implement lean management principles and achieve operational goals. Software enables you to identify areas of true customer value and then map value streams accordingly. It makes the process of developing continuous workflows and demand-driven pull systems much easier. Using lean software also helps to identify areas where you can improve production and then execute projects that contribute to it. Integrated platforms support a number of business activities and complex project needs:

• Collaboration – lean manufacturing software makes it easy for different teams and departments to work together, removing silo barriers and improving communication.
• Reporting – track and analyze results so that you can monitor key performance indicators, measure the impact of lean initiatives, and see where further improvement opportunities lie using data visualization.
• Communication – utilize built-in planning and scheduling tools or share lean best practices so that your entire team understands the value of the improvement culture that you’re building.
• Knowledge Base – learn from past success stories and leverage previous experiences by saving all your lean information in one place (with comprehensive search functionalities to find what you need quickly).
• Automation – build workflows that include automatic email alerts and real-time user notifications so that project managers always know when tasks are assigned to them or due date is on the horizon.

Cloud-based software provides a single source of truth for all of your lean projects. Instead of information being saved across Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations on various computers, networks, and servers, it’s all in one place. This makes it convenient to access and ensures you always have the latest update on an initiative at your fingertips.

Why Do Lean Manufacturing Companies Use It?

Companies use lean manufacturing software to improve their bottom line. It provides a competitive advantage by increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and enhancing the customer experience. When taken in combination, these factors increase both revenue and profitability. Software platforms help organizations to become more agile and react to changing customer needs with ease.

Modern manufacturing businesses leverage technology to maximize results. They use it to empower shop floor employees, increase machine efficiency, and drive innovation in their production methods. Digital software makes it easier to develop manufacturing systems that cater to customer demand instead of mass-producing items. It synchronizes teams and systems so that factories are client-driven. By removing the constraints of the traditional analog approach, companies can increase efficiency in line with lean principles.

Lean manufacturing software doesn’t just streamline output. It can also be used to control reorder and replenishment processes. If your business utilizes enterprise resource planning (ERP), then you may think that it can’t be aligned with lean principles. People often perceive a conflict between production scheduling and material planning. But software can perform millions of complex calculations and model thousands of different scenarios in seconds. It can support operational and procurement teams in assessing the volumes of raw materials that are needed to fulfill requirements. This ensures that supplies do not become sources of wastes of lean or overburden because exactly the right amount is ordered. By doing so, it marries ERP with lean production so you get the best of both worlds.

Manufacturing businesses from any industry category can benefit from implementing lean management software. Its planning, implementing, and reporting abilities are second to none. At the click of a button, you can display data for any number of lean initiatives and analyze how they’re performing against objectives. It will give you a black and white answer as to whether your improvement ideas are delivering a return.

Choosing the right technology partners will make your lean manufacturing software integration a success. Working with an experienced provider means you can avoid the most common pitfalls and hit the ground running from day one. They’ll learn about your supply chain management and manufacturing operations, then recommend an implementation strategy based on your specific needs. If you’re interested in learning how lean tools can aid process improvement in your business, then get in touch with our team.

How We Can Help

Rever is all about sharing and reusing, doing and tracking. Continuous improvement becomes a hundred times easier with our innovative digital platform. Using the Rever dashboard, you can monitor the performances of teams, understand their impact, and easily identify the people making the biggest difference at your company.

The Rever Cycle is our version of the PDCA methodology that guides teams on the exact steps to follow to execute their own ideas and achieve continuous improvement. It allows them to capture the entire process, from identifying a problem to experimenting and implementing a solution. They can use it to capture the before and after with pictures, notes and drawings, making their ideas a reality in no time. The time of your team is too valuable to be wasted in handmade drawings and complex explanations.

At Rever, we believe that anybody can be a knowledge worker, contribute to the organization’s success and thrive in their work through their contribution. What makes us human is the capacity to grow our intellect and will, and to use them for good. We observe, especially at work, that most people are asked to stop thinking and do as they are told. We want to change that. We enable people to achieve their full creative potential.

Interested in learning more or implementing lean manufacturing software in your own business? Then request a demo with one of our friendly team.