Lean Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing has been implemented within the Janssen Supply Chain since 2012. By consistently applying the basic principles of this working method, we hope in the short-term to be able to manufacture more with the same resources. In order to guide the organization in this endeavor and to accelerate the process, a Lean Acceleration Team (LAT) was created at the beginning of 2013.
Of course, manufacturing more with the same resources means cost savings, but it also means more pleasant working conditions for the employees. Lean manufacturing is a model that originated in the Japanese automotive industry. The concept is based on a culture of continuous improvement, whereby all actions are measured and compared, and where the staff in the workplace is given plenty of room for initiative.
By introducing the Lean Culture to the teams, Janssen Supply Chain aims to simplify the work tasks and to improve performance. Lean Manufacturing focuses entirely on those tasks that actually add value while eliminating unneeded ballast.


The Lean Acceleration Team (LAT) headed by Guy Mannaerts (in the center of the photograph).
It is in this way that the ‘visual factory’ fits within the Lean Manufacturing concept: by visualizing the production lines, the operators can see what volumes are being produced, how they are being produced and which obstacles are still present. It's like the dashboard of a car. You can't drive without it, because without it you drive blind. Everyone who mans a position where actions can be influenced – and that is almost everywhere – must know the facts and figures. That way well-considered choices can be made. In daily production meetings, problems are then quickly recognized and addressed.