A lot of smaller companies have bought into lean manufacturing as
a way to reduce their business costs (lean "wastes").
I moderated a session on Lean and Green for the Manufacturers Alliance
(Minnesota) last year, but it's a challenge to get companies
interested. I am trying again with a
1/2 day workshop
on "Greening Your Lean Program" August 26, 2008.
I am using the EPA toolkits at epa.gov/lean and some case studies from
Washington
State Dept. of Ecology. I'll also be trying
out Kurt Middlekoop's (Texas Manufacturing Assistance
Center) "Learning How to See" (washing hands) as a small
group training exercise (thanks to Cindy McComas, MnTAP). I'd appreciate additional examples of hands-on exercises and
compelling success stories with good before/after pictures. Most
of what I can find for lean and green manufacturing involves big
companies. We need to convince smaller businesses that they too
can look for green improvements with the lean tools they are already
using!
Assuming the workshop happens, I'll be glad to share what worked
and didn't.