Proven solutions for every high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturer
August 17, 2026
ORIGIN OF JOB SHOP LEAN (Link)
IMPLEMENTING JOB SHOP LEAN (Link)
RESULTS REPORTED BY CLIENTS
• Weber Metals (Los Angeles, CA) reported a one-time work-in-progress (WIP) inventory avoidance of $3,000,000 after implementing the proposed shop re-layout and scheduling strategy
• TECT (Cleveland, OH) reduced floor space requirements with their new layout which reduced their annual facility leasing costs by $350,000
• TECT (Cleveland, OH) estimated that their new layout reduced travel time for forgings produced for a key customer by ≈ 85%
• Ulven Forging (Hubbard, OR) implemented a new layout and invested in new equipment that resulted in an annual savings of $137,000
• Ulven Forging (Hubbard, OR) reduced the average time it took their front office to respond to an RFQ from 10.2 days to 2.4 days
• SIFCO Forging Industries (Cleveland, OH) implemented a work cell in their Non-Destructive Testing department that increased Equipment Uptime by 20% and increased Labor Productivity by 10%
• Bula Forge & Machine Inc. (Cleveland, OH) reorganized their Shipping Department which eliminated excess work-in-process (WIP) valued at ≈ $130,000
• G&G Mfg. Co. (Cincinnnati, OH) implemented a flexible flow cell that reduced Manufacturing Lead Time for a representative part from 12 working days to 5 working days
• Alpha 1 Induction Service Center (Columbus, OH) implemented a work cell that yielded a first year’s cost savings of $64,000
• Hoerbiger Corporation of America (Houston, TX) estimated that implementation of a machining cell would (1) reduce order fulfillment time from 16 days to 5 days and (2) reduce annual material handling labor by 51 hours
• Hoerbiger Corporation of America (Houston, TX) implemented a new layout for their Shipping Department with ≈ 50% less floor space requirements
• Hirschvogel Inc. (Columbus, OH) reduced setup time on one of their cold forging presses from 125 minutes to 94 minutes which enabled an estimated increase in annual production valued at $300,000
LEARNING RESOURCES
• PFA: Essential Foundation of Job Shop Lean (Link)
• PFAST: Software to Implement PFA (Link)
o Example of a Project (Link)
• Other Software for Job Shops (Link)
• Publications
o Articles (Link)
o Book (Link)
o eBooks (Link)
o Eureka! Books (Link)
o Client Projects (Link)
o Student Projects (Link)
o YouTube Channel (Link)
ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE
With the current efforts to re-shore outsourced manufacturing and overcome the challenges of tariffs, millions of small and medium-sized high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturers in the US have to implement manufacturing practices that achieve additional performance gains beyond those achievable with Lean, Six Sigma, TOC, etc. That is because they operate like job shops and not like any of Toyota’s mixed model assembly lines! This conference will introduce attendees to Job Shop Lean and show them how to implement a manufacturing strategy that:
- Adapts the Principles of Lean (Link) for Make-To-Order high-mix low-volume (HMLV) custom manufacturers
- Blends Industrial Engineering science with the simple, intuitive and proven methods of the Toyota Production System (aka Lean)
- Delivers significant benefits to small manufacturers like McWane Plant & Industrial Inc., in Houston, TX (Link).
AUDIENCE
This conference is most applicable to job shop-type high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturers with these SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes — 20xx, 23xx, 24xx, 25xx, 3061, 3069, 31xx, 3363, 3364, 3398, 3441, 3443, 3444, 3446, 3449, 3462, 3463, 3471, 3479, 3541, 3542, 3543, 3544, 3545, 3546, 3547, 3549, 3612, 3613, 3624, 3625, 3629, 3672, 37xx, 38xx and 39xx. Examples of these manufacturers are forge shops, machine shops, custom fabricators, MRO (repair) facilities, foundries, steel service centers, etc.
This conference will benefit any attendee who is (a) working for a high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturer, (b) is reasonably conversant with Lean (as based on the Toyota Production System) and (c) has prior experience in implementing Lean.
This conference will benefit industry professionals with the following job titles:
| Business Owner/President COO VP – Operations Director – Operations Operations Manager Engineering Manager Plant Manager | Consultant Facility Planner Manufacturing Engineer Industrial Engineer Production Supervisor Lean Six Sigma Practitioner Lean Champion |
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Learn how Job Shop Lean is a radical departure from existing CI (Continuous Improvement) strategies like Lean Six Sigma, TOC and Operational Excellence
• Learn new concepts and practices developed specifically for high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing
• Understand the importance of informed leadership instead of leadership
• Learn new problem-solving tools such as Mind Maps, 5W2H Questioning, ECRSSA Thinking, etc.
• See the benefits of establishing an industry-university partnership with an Industrial and Systems Engineering department
• Meet with peers, especially the leadership and implementation team at McWane Plant & Industrial, Inc.’s facility in Houston, TX
• ….. and much more (if you see the Agenda for the conference)
AGENDA(Link)
REGISTRATION (Link)
VENUE (Link)
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Engineering Building 2, Room E206, 4222 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Houston TX 77204-4008
Campus Map
UH Parking & Routes
Google Map)
SPONSORS
• Lean & Flexible, LLC (Link)
• UH Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (Link)
ORGANIZER (Link)
Dr. Shahrukh Irani
President
Lean and Flexible, LLC
4102 Pensacola Oaks Lane
Sugar Land, TX77479
Phone: 832-475-4447
Email: ShahrukhIrani1023@yahoo.com
Website: www.LeanandFlexible.com
QUESTIONS/INQUIRIES? Please call Dr. Shahrukh Irani @ (832) 475-4447 else email him @ ShahrukhIrani1023@yahoo.com.