01/19/05 Workshop to help Idaho food processors

Several Idaho food companies have embraced lean manufacturing. They see lean as a major gain in productivity, profitability, waste reduction, employee satisfaction and market competitiveness. That's why a one-day workshop will be held in Boise on January 26th to expose more food processors to lean manufacturing. TechHelp Idaho's Jeff Kronenberg says the workshop will focus on three lean manufacturing aspects. First, it's an understanding of the tools employed by lean manufacturers. KRONENBERG "We look at the company's value stream and we identify value added and non value added activities. The third phase is called implementation and that's where the rubber meets the road and we look for large productivity gains and cost savings with the manufacturers." Kronenberg says some people have a misconception about lean manufacturing. It doesn't mean that food processors will cut their work force but they can reduce waste. KRONENBERG "And one of the big wastes that we know exists in a lot of organizations is talent. We don't leverage talent. So when we implement lean manufacturing we don't look initially at laying off the work force. We look at leveraging their talent." Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott