Five Ideas: Lean

Lean principles offer a proven, structured means of reducing cycle times, increasing quality, cutting costs, reducing inventory investments, and improving asset performance. Get expert insight into how going lean can help you do more with less.

“As the cost of capital goes up, so too does the cost of inventory, which means companies need to manage inventory more precisely than ever. And part of that is taking a more judicious look at supply chains..”—John Bermudez, Oracle's senior director of SCM product strategy

“Landed-cost analyses have been difficult in the past because of the complex interrelationships of these multiple factors. But the need to consider all the data points has become essential for Lean supply chains as product recalls, delivery delays, and fluctuating transportation costs demonstrate that the lowest-cost suppliers don’t necessarily offer the most business value.”—Maha Muzumdar, vice president of supply chain marketing at Oracle

"By collecting and making real-time information more readily available for decision-making, companies are becoming better able to predict demand and adapt to changing business conditions such as volatile commodities prices.”—Stephen Slade, Oracle's senior director of applications and industries marketing

“Lean manufacturing minimizes wasted material and energy usage, as well as storage space and transportation expenses. Supply chain managers are starting to recognize that being green benefits not only the environment, but also their companies' bottom line by reducing costs, reducing risks, and building revenue potential.” —Rich Kroes, Oracle’s principal product strategy manager for supply chain management applications

“Lean is not a silver bullet, it's a journey. The sooner your begin the journey the more competitive you'll be in the long run.”—Lean expert Bill Baker