Where is the Lean Manufacturing Case Study?
On the A Lean Journey blog, Tim McMahon offered up the reins to Lean Six Sigma writer, Kathryn Thompson, about a case study in lean manufacturing and six sigma.
Inappropriately titled “The Successes of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma: A Case Study,” Thompson’s post is sparse on details and any data backing up the claim that Midlake Products is a decent model for lean and six sigma.
No disrespect intended toward Ms. Thomson, but this article is NOT a case study. It reads more like a press release for Midlake Products. Thompson’s post gives a summary of this company’s lean six sigma background and links to their website which, for all intents and purposes, is devoid of any significant examples of how they implemented lean or six sigma and what the pros/cons included.
A case study is something that gives a reader some indication of a need for improvements, the processes implemented, and results. They are important documents for anyone who is contemplating starting a program and looking for basic firsthand perspectives from professionals in their industry or comparable production models.
If one were to desire a real case study on the matter, I’d recommend this one from Lean Enterprise Institute for starters. It lays out the information in a more traditional way.
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