Lean Deployment Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lean Deployment all about?
Isn’t the membership subscription quite costly?
What effect has e-commerce had on companies considering lean improvements?
What is the difference between lean manufacturing and a lean enterprise?
I don’t know much about PowerPoint?
I don’t have PowerPoint on my system?
The presentation files are quite large and they take a long time to download?
Why don’t you offer a free-trial period?
Can I modify the files I download?
Have you information that would be useful to publish on our site?
Got a question not answered here?
What is Lean Deployment all about and how does it fit with lean manufacturing?
Our aim is to educate the business community in lean methods and best practices and this applies to manufacturing and non-manufacturing businesses e.g. service industry. Lean manufacturing is a business (any business) performance improvement tool that focuses on enhancing quality, cost, delivery and people. It exposes waste and makes continuous improvement possible by trying to eliminate that waste.
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Isn’t the membership subscription quite costly?
We think the membership rate is extremely competitive. Once you see all the information available, you’ll realise just how cost effective it is. You’ll save the cost of your membership by not employing a consultant for half a day or implementing just one of these methods in the first week. Just do a search on the web looking for lean manufacturing or 6-Sigma and you’ll see many sites offering sections of information for specific fees – but not everything. With us you can get it all for one low subscription price including presentations, training materials, templates, guide books.
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Isn't it true that lean methods and techniques only work in large, high-volume, repetitive manufacturing companies?
This is a common misconception. The truth is that lean methods can be successful in many industries and are often easier to implement in smaller organisations. The principles apply in both small and large companies.
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What effect has e-commerce had on companies considering lean improvements?
More and more companies are turning to lean because of new pressures for quicker response and shorter cycle times that e-commerce and e-manufacturing are imposing. As e-business puts more pressure on the office and facilities, companies that weren't considering lean are now willing to adopt it because they have to. There is probably only one assumption we can guarantee about e-commerce and the Internet. Everything is changing and that change gets faster every day. Many feel that now is the time to consider implementing lean principles and strategies into their business to position themselves for a future of increasing customer requirements.
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What is the difference between lean manufacturing and a lean enterprise?
The first thing you will learn about lean manufacturing is that implementing it is a journey, not a quick fix. Many companies eager for instant results try to steal the "quick fix" parts of lean thinking and force them into their existing plans to attack waste. It’s suggested that if you go lean, you have to be completely dedicated to it, adopt it wholeheartedly. Otherwise, you may experience some short-haul benefits, but you will most likely not be prepared for long-term challenges. Individual lean manufacturing practices often do not really make much of an impact although everything gets started by one person. However, the only way to experience the full benefits of lean is through lean as a system, as a total system. To become a lean enterprise means that change has to occur at all levels from accounting, to upper management. Everyone in the organization has to accept lean as a lifestyle and be dedicated to the long term application and continuous improvements associated with it. Added to that you may also have to target suppliers and vendors and convince them to be lean. Everyone in the value chain needs to embrace and support lean principles to make ensure your long-term success as a lean enterprise.
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I don’t know much about PowerPoint?
If you go to the following site http://www.pptfaq.com you will find heaps of useful information about PowerPoint. This really is a great site for all kinds of PowerPoint information.
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I don’t have PowerPoint on my system?
Go to the following site to download PowerPoint Viewer 2003 for free…. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=428d5727-43ab-4f24-90b7-a94784af71a4&DisplayLang=en. This is part of Microsoft’s download centre site. If you look elsewhere on this page you will find information which will also allow you to download Excel and Word viewers if you need them.
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The presentation files are quite large and they take a long time to download?
Unfortunately the files for the presentations are quite large. If you are using dial-up. It will take some time to download the information. This is because the narration is embedded in the presentations. These could have been linked to reduce the file size but this meant you would have to download all the sound files with the right presentation and you can get in a mess. There are several methods online which allow you to increase your download speed for a fee or there are also some free versions available.
Alternatively, for members only we can save the files all onto a disc set and send these to you. Unfortunately there would have to be an additional charge for this. Please contact customerservices@leandeployment.com with your postal address details and we will advise the charge including postage.
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Why don’t you offer a free-trial period?
Due to the nature of information on the site and the fact that once you’ve subscribed you have access to download all or partial content, we cannot offer this option although we are very confident that you will be extremely happy with the information available following membership commencing. We do of course a full money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with the material after 12 months use.
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Can I modify the files I download?
All files have security passwords to open and/or and modify the files. All members are given passwords to access their downloads. No presentations can be modified without the permission of Lean Deployment. Excel templates and word documents can be modified to suit your own organisational needs. All training materials are saved as PDF files to prevent alteration.
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Have you information that would be useful to publish on our site?
If so, please contact us at sales@leandeployment.com with the details of the content and why you think it would be useful to our members. Please ensure you include your contact details.
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Got a question not answered here?
Contact customerservices@leandeployment.com and if we think it’s useful, we’ll add it to our FAQ list.