I started the JSLEAN discussion group in August 2001. At the time of launching the group, I stated the goals of this group as follows:
Inspired by the successes of automotive assembly plants and their Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, manufacturers in the high-variety low-volume (HVLV) sectors of industry, such as vertically integrated factories (army munitions, shipbuilding, jet engine), Make-To-Order and Engineer-To-Order manufacturers of assemblies (furniture, security cabinets, cranes, tractors), remanufacturers, repair and maintenance facilities, job shops (machining, welding fabrication, stamping, die-casting), are eager to implement the much-publicized Assembly Line Lean. However, the majority of projects to implement Lean Manufacturing in manufacturing facilities with a high product mix stumble on a variety of obstacles, primarily due to their diverse product mix with many dissimilar routings. While some of the standard elements of "Lean Thinking", such as 5S, Setup Reduction and Quality At Source, may apply to these custom manufacturing facilities, there is urgent need for new concepts, approaches and tools suited specifically to the high-variety low-volume manufacturing facilities. This group welcomes any and all individuals desirous of participating in this collective effort to create a Resource Center for Jobshops!
Today the JSLEAN discussion group is defunct. Still, if you wish to read the hundreds of discussion threads in its archives, please click here to visit the group’s website and apply for membership.
To continue the tradition of JSLEAN, I have started a new members-only discussion forum on LinkedIn, Lean and Flexible. Membership to the group is limited to those who purchase my book. Please click here to join this new group.