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Lean manufacturing a must for competing globally.

Article Excerpt
In the past, lean manufacturing training could be expensive and a major commitment of resources. But now that training is available through the Lean Enterprise Center at Southern Miss, this valuable tool is becoming increasingly popular.

Jim Stringer, director of membership and educational services at the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, said in the past a lot of companies were scared to get into lean manufacturing.

"But if they are going to stay competitive, that is what they have to do because we are in a global economy, and lean makes us more competitive," Stringer said.

"There are a number of companies interested who weren't in the past. One reason some companies stayed away from lean is that it is expensive and extensive training. In the past, we didn't have folks in Mississippi who could do the training. But now we do. You don't have to pay travel and expenses for a trainer to come in, and you are getting someone who thinks like we do."

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), lean production is aimed at the elimination of waste in every area of production including customer relations, product design, supplier networks and factory management. Its goal is to incorporate less human effort, less inventory, less time to develop products and less space to become...

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