TR Cutler: Rethinking Lean Manufacturing

om-link">have achieved their lean objective. However, a lean
Management Magazine features an article onprocess has to be a continuous process of
Rethinking Lean Manufacturing Profiled in Januaryimprovement if it is to succeed. After cleaning a
issuesection of the manufacturing house, it’s time
Thomas R. Cutler suggests that manufacturers areto ferret out the dirt and dust throughout the rest
rethinking lean. Before investing in more technology,of the enterprise. The bottom line is that if a lean
manufacturers are making sure the processes inprogram doesn’t touch all areas of the
place are working at, or close to, capacity. Thebusiness, it won’t succeed.”
January issue of Management Magazine containsCutler, who founded the Manufacturing Media
more of Cutler’s assertions.Consortium in 1999, has grown the participation from
Lean processes are introduced in companies to300 journalists to more than two thousands key
eliminate waste. Considering how effective theclients, journalists, editors, trendsetters, and key
process has been for many companies, it’sbusiness leaders worldwide. Cutler has authored more
somewhat surprising to learn that only about 61% ofthan 1000 articles for a wide range of manufacturing
Canadian manufacturers have introduced a leanperiodicals, industrial publications, and business journals
process into their operations. Of that 61%, manyincluding most of the leading monthly trade
confess that the effort has been cursory, managingpublications. Cutler is the author of The
to deal with only surface issues at best.Manufacturers’ Public Relations and Media
According to Cutler, “The road to fulfilling a leanGuide. Cutler was voted #1 Manufacturing Journalist
initiative begins with a willingness to do some seriousfor the third year in a row. The firm has forty-two
housecleaning. Some do this cursorily, deriveemployees worldwide.
quantifiable improvements, and suggest that they