Downloads, White Papers

Getting the "Fat" Out of Food Manufacturing: A Practical Approach to Lean Manufacturing in the Food Industry
by Cherri J. Schmidt, EnteGreat

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Paper Overview
What do Food manufacturers have to gain from Lean practices? Plenty. With the appropriate technology in place, effective training for personnel, and a targeted methodology, a Lean initiative at a Food manufacturing company will produce results that make a concrete impact on the bottom line. Lean can help shorten the cycle for new product introductions, increase the effectiveness of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), improve the efficiency of material management and energy consumption, and streamline the execution of the production process.

By applying Lean practices, Food companies have increased throughput and availability, decreased shrinkage and loss, and elevated OEE. Those Food manufacturers who have used Lean to reach the highest industry standards for OEE are the ones who are savvy about how to employ technology in support of their improvement strategies. Lean is powerful by itself, but in combination with the appropriate technology, the benefits are considerably enhanced. This white paper presents a practical approach to using lean in the food industry, including the five reasons why technology is essential for lean success.

Paper Outline

• Introduction
• The Move from "Push" to "Pull"
• Lean in Action
• Using Technology to Enable Lean
• Making It Happen
• The Rewards
• Conclusion

About the Author
Cherri Schmidt is an experienced manager and leader with over 25 years experience in managing people in large, technology-based organizations. Cherri has had a diverse career in operations management, from building production facilities for Exxon, to building cars for General Motors, to overseeing the management and operations of five national research laboratories at the U.S. Department of Energy. Cherri has served as a management consultant to companies in a variety of other industries, including automotive, aerospace, metals, paper, petroleum, chemicals, and consumer products. Most recently, Cherri has been working with EnteGreat's client organizations in North America and Europe to develop and implement information technology strategies and project justification for manufacturing in the food and CPG industries.

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