A Brief Description of the Case Study
A CASE STUDY IN LEAN MANUFACTURING
CONTENTS
A brief description of the case study . 2
Abstract 3
Lean Manufacturing . 4
What is Kaizen?........................................................................................ 4
Garden State Tanning . 5
Getting to Lean . .. 6
Standard Tanning Industry Operations 7
Teams are formed and new process flows are tried 7
Introduction to Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) .. 8
Improvements in cutting leather .. 9
Kanban Quantums 10
Results of becoming Lean .. 11
Lessons and Pitfalls of Becoming Lean .. 12
Conclusion . 13
References . 14
A brief description of the case study
For more than 70 years, GST AutoLeather, formerly Garden State Tanning, has provided the global automotive market with innovative and competitively priced leather auto interiors. This case study is referring to the past situation of the company where there were existing enough problems in the production line which did not allow the company not only to be competitive, but also to be able to respond to high demand. The future would be inauspicious if the cooperation with Toyota 's staff didn 't take place.
The co-operation with Toyota was proved very efficient. Delays in the shipment, high lead times, high level of inventory and bad design of processes, did not allow the company to respond to the real amount of demand. That become worse when their great customer, Toyota, increased the demand leather car seats due to the increase in sales of the new model Lexus in 1991. The current situation was unacceptable compared with the perspectives of GST. So, the cooperation with Toyota staff in learning how to enter the world of
CONTENTS
A brief description of the case study . 2
Abstract 3
Lean Manufacturing . 4
What is Kaizen?........................................................................................ 4
Garden State Tanning . 5
Getting to Lean . .. 6
Standard Tanning Industry Operations 7
Teams are formed and new process flows are tried 7
Introduction to Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) .. 8
Improvements in cutting leather .. 9
Kanban Quantums 10
Results of becoming Lean .. 11
Lessons and Pitfalls of Becoming Lean .. 12
Conclusion . 13
References . 14
A brief description of the case study
For more than 70 years, GST AutoLeather, formerly Garden State Tanning, has provided the global automotive market with innovative and competitively priced leather auto interiors. This case study is referring to the past situation of the company where there were existing enough problems in the production line which did not allow the company not only to be competitive, but also to be able to respond to high demand. The future would be inauspicious if the cooperation with Toyota 's staff didn 't take place.
The co-operation with Toyota was proved very efficient. Delays in the shipment, high lead times, high level of inventory and bad design of processes, did not allow the company to respond to the real amount of demand. That become worse when their great customer, Toyota, increased the demand leather car seats due to the increase in sales of the new model Lexus in 1991. The current situation was unacceptable compared with the perspectives of GST. So, the cooperation with Toyota staff in learning how to enter the world of