CAMM Metals Blog

In today’s market, it’s critical for job shops to be proactive about standing out, not only to their clients but to their potential employees as well. The modern day job shop faces the unique challenge of appealing to a smaller pool of highly-skilled workers in order to succeed and pass that success off to customers. The methods with which a given job shop operates can make a massive difference when it comes to hiring viable candidates, cutting costs and improving productivity. This is where the lean manufacturing philosophy becomes incredibly valuable. Essentially, lean manufacturing is about eliminating waste and streamlining processes. If you’re interested in learning more, check out this blog post.

Not only can lean philosophy turn a business into a well-oiled machine, but it ensures that each aspect of the operation is treated with equal importance. In the end, this can ensure that a business is highly efficient, which helps the business to pass on the benefits to clients.

There’s no shortage of tools and systems within the lean manufacturing philosophy that businesses use to ensure they’re following the method’s most important principles. One of these tools is “5S.”

Continue reading to learn how this helpful system can benefit both metal fabrication job shops and their customers.

What Does Lean Manufacturing Entail?

At its most basic, lean manufacturing focuses on the elimination of waste; not just physical waste, as in an excess of materials, but also waste that occurs as the result of overburdening, or via uneven workloads.  It systemically streamlines the entire manufacturing system to make it as efficient as possible, ultimately leading to greater efficiency, lower costs and faster production times.  In fact, research has shown that when lean principles are put into place, it can produce significant results, including reduced manufacturing lead times and floor space requirements, and increased first-pass yields, throughput and productivity.