Just several years ago, lean management was regarded as the key to improve operational performance in Chinese factories. Shop floor management is one of the powerful lean tools,.
But today, digitization seems to be the only hot topic. Both comprehensive manufacturing execution systems (MES) from leading solution providers and simple, individual developed digital modules are now very common in Chinese factories.
With our experts, we will discuss about how German Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME´s) and their China factories can step by step improve shop floor leadership and shop floor performance with help of digital tools.
Digitalisation is important, but at what price and at what cost? To make digitisation affordable, several factors are important. One of them is definitely Lean Management, in order to optimise processes in advance. Because only good processes can be digitialised at low cost. This involves people. And these people are developed by solving problems. The best problem solvers will then making the digitalisation what works best through teamwork. But be carefully to digitalize, because robots can´t think and cannot make Kaizen - processes are making no progress by themselves!
In the process of digital transformation, we do not just move the original process to the IT system intactly. Digital transformation also leverages technologies to create new insight, new values and new services for various stakeholders, to innovate and acquire the capabilities to adapt to changing circumstances rapidly.
Similar like built MRP (material requirement planning) system 30 years ago, today digitization are still facing to establish a new digital system or to optimized the existing business process .
From top to down setup digital system will be face to the severe pain of whole business process reorganization; from bottom to top digital solution optimization can be indeed improved business process more effectively, but the whole picture of digitization will be lost and redundant.
As the most important business process optimization, lean management are the best way for balancing both side. Optimization and Reorganization of lean by enterprise pain points, Digital landscape is carried out continuously. In this way , there are not only have digital overall strategic planning, but also reduces the pain of business process reorganization.