Made-to-Order Lean

Introduction: Method and Overview

The Toyota Production System (TPS) and lean principals can generally be applied to high-mix, low-volume environments, although the implementation methods are not always directly applicable. Often, the implementation process requires different methods and tools based on TPS and lean principles that will work in a high-mix environment. The proven tools and methods that are presented in this book are based on years of hands-on experience.

Within the context of this book, “bigb-mix, low-volume” refers to manufacturing businesses that have hundreds to thousands of active part numbers, with few (or none) of these parts having ongoing forecasted volumes. Orders are not predictable, and planning is safer after a firm ...