Manufacturing globalization is driving tectonic shifts in the manufacturing sector.  Companies are aware of the challenges inherent in globalization and are working to implement changes aimed at preserving the manufacturing industry.  To bolster global competitiveness, leading companies are implementing Lean Manufacturing initiatives.  Lean Manufacturing is a production methodology that eliminates waste by adapting production to market demand so that inventory levels at every stage of the manufacturing process can be reduced without impacting customer service levels.

Companies like Toyota have proven that Lean Manufacturing techniques can greatly improve global competitiveness.  These companies produce quality products at a lower cost.  Furthermore, they are able to maintain lower production costs without sacrificing product variety or customer service levels.  They have raised the bar for manufacturing excellence in the United States after spending millions of dollars building internal systems in-house to manage Lean Manufacturing environments.  Many companies want to create the same kind of nimble manufacturing environment, but they do not have the knowledge, time or resources to build a comparable system.   LeanDNA intends to be first to empower companies with what Toyota spent years and millions of dollars to develop.

LeanDNA® is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application for Lean Manufacturing Execution and Performance Management.  While current solutions, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) systems were designed to plan and manage traditional supply chains, LeanDNA supports the analysis, design, and day-to-day execution of a new model for operational excellence called Lean Manufacturing (see Glossary in section 15). LeanDNA can be implemented as a stand-alone application or as complementary component of current ERP or SCM software.

The inability of most manufacturers to achieve global competitiveness through the implementation of Lean Manufacturing strategies is caused by three factors:

• Prevailing manufacturing models are out of synch with prevailing business models and consumer behaviors;

• Prevailing manufacturing software technology does not adequately support Lean Manufacturing; and

• Lean Manufacturing experts with an understanding of systems are a limited resource.

To overcome these obstacles, companies require a comprehensive Lean Manufacturing solution that provides software, coaching and consulting services to support their journey to manufacturing excellence.  LeanDNA is such a solution comprised of a SaaS application for Lean Manufacturing Execution combined with world-class Lean manufacturing professional services.

LeanDNA® allows companies to operate factories in any country, in their own language, through an easy-to-use web-based software application.  LeanDNA may be used by internal or external experts located on-site or remotely to manage the analysis, design, and day-to-day management of Lean Manufacturing operations.  The product provides a best-practices platform for Lean Manufacturing Execution and automates the tasks traditionally performed through spreadsheets or other manual systems. The software is supported by a line of professional services for implementing and maintaining Lean manufacturing best practices (Virtual Sensei). 

LeanDNA has been modeled after the Toyota Production System (TPS) and LeanDNA’s successful application of TPS methodologies in over 10 countries.  LeanDNA’s mission is to provide a rapid deployment software platform that allows companies to acquire and quickly deploy the same processes and technologies for Lean Manufacturing pioneered by Toyota and other leaders in manufacturing excellence.