LEAN MANUFACTURING OF BOEING

Boeing will be discussed throughout the years and how they became lean to survive in today’s tough market.  Lean manufacturing has aided Boeing in a significant reduction in the amount of energy used, raw materials and non-product output associated with its manufacturing processes. Lean manufacturing was implemented at Boeing in 1993 ^.

With the advent of ‘’Airbus’’, a serious competitor, Boeing was forced to change its ways if they were to survive. This time Lean measures proved fruitful, manufacturing time was reduced by up to 60%, manufacturing floor space was reduced by up to 50%. Leaving more space for other processes and resource productivity was improved by 30-70%.

Ken Curtindale, a mechanic at Boeing, believes lean manufacturing has helped the company, as he no longer has to spend time walking about inefficient plants. Boeings continual investment in lean can be accredited to the fact that Boeing believes that this lean approach helps improve customer responsiveness, reduce costs and systematically improve operational performance on a continual basis.

At the end of the day, a customer’s wants may be distilled to a select few; they want the product to fulfil its function, to work when it’s supposed to, to be as cost-effective as possible, and they generally want it immediately.. Lean manufacturing ultimately sets out to simultaneously target all the above issues, rewarding both customer and manufacturer with hugely significant gains

On a tangible everyday level, the advantages offered by lean manufacturing are great in number and substantial in effect. Order to delivery times are slashed from months or weeks to mere hours. Returns due to product defects are eliminated because quality is built in rather than inspected in. Prices are cut because manufacturing overheads are greatly reduced. Cash tied up in stock is released and storage space requirements are halved. Customers can also easily customize their order as their product will not be manufactured before their order is placed, allowing them to choose exactly which product features are to be assembled.Following is steps pave for the implementation of the multi-faceted vision.

• Define product value from the customer’s point of view.
• Design-in and build-in quality into product.
• Eliminate everything that doesn’t create/add value.
• Make creation of value flow evenly and continuously. River of production which precisely matches the speed of consumption.

          Arguably the most commonly associated aspect of lean manufacturing, products are manufactured in a just in time fashion based on customer demand, only. As mentioned above, quality is also built into and designed into the product following the six sigma strategy. This is manifested by the constant search for waste-cutting potential, quality improvement, inventory shedding, and any other ways to operate better, faster, and easier. So great is the importance of this ethos that it is made a standard for all organisation systems and procedures.