Commentary by Prof. Dr. Markus Schneider
Reducing costs and securing liquidity with lean measures
In times of crisis, lean management approaches are becoming increasingly important again. This is because medium-sized manufacturing companies in particular can use lean measures to reduce their costs comparatively quickly and secure liquidity, thus effectively countering the economic impact of crises such as the one we are currently experiencing with coronavirus. By Prof. Dr. Markus Schneider
Lean principles can be used to make work processes and workplaces more efficient, for example. The lean rule "organize first, invest later" helps to achieve considerable effects with short-term and cost-effective measures. For example, employee deployment can be reduced or throughput increased with the same number of staff.
The medium and long-term levers that require investments or new designs can then be implemented later.
There is also considerable potential for short-term savings in material provision and intralogistics processes - from supermarkets to tugger trains and warehouse technology. Optimizing throughput times in particular can significantly increase the speed of response. As a result, inventory reductions in warehouses and supermarkets free up urgently needed liquidity.
Software-supported PPS systems are designed for steady states. Setting up new scenarios and production processes is time-consuming and resource-intensive. In highly volatile times of crisis, production control with on-board resources, such as a card system, often helps. Without the support of IT experts, it is possible to react to changing requirements and carry out production planning and control in crisis mode.
Understandably, most new construction projects are postponed to the future in times of crisis. Accordingly, you have to cope with the given space conditions for even longer. Method-supported material flow optimization - so-called brownfield planning - also pays off quickly in existing buildings. The processes are visualized and optimized together. Whether the necessary changes in the existing building still pay off can then be reliably assessed on the basis of the framework conditions.
The author
Dr. Markus Schneider is Professor of Logistics, Materials and Manufacturing Management at Landshut University of Applied Sciences and Scientific Director of the Technology Centre for Production and Logistics Systems (TZ PULS) in Dingolfing with its 900m2 learning and model factory. He is also the founder and managing director of PuLL Beratung GmbH and is responsible for several research projects relating to factory planning, process optimization and Industry 4.0.
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