Implementation Of Lean Production In Footwear Manufacturing And Research On Its Impact To Cost Control

From 1980's, after done thorough and detailed observations and researches on Toyota production system, the experts' team led by professors of Massachusetts Institute of Technology of U.S.A came up with a full set of new concept "LEAN production" and introduced it to all over the world - both automobile industry and other industries. LEAN production system aims at perfect, unceasingly reduction of cost, zero defect, and endless new types of products. The world-known brands of Athlete Footwear are also pro-actively promoting Lean production, and it's approved to be very successful.The writer engages in cost analysis in a world famous footwear brand, and understands how the manufacturers reduce cost through Lean reforms. In this paper, introductions are made for background of Lean, its characteristics and principles. The writer has also made a case study on the reform course of NGY Footwear Company, compared production scenarios one year before and after LEAN in pilot lines, and analyzed how the cost could be brought down through Lean. A conclusion is made therefore: Lean production can help the enterprise not only reducing waste and cost, but also upgrading overall business concepts and managing level, empowering the company's competitiveness.Since the utilization of Lean in Footwear is not very long and not mature yet, the writer thinks there are some critical issues need to be solved, such as the inconsistent willingness of self-improvement among workers; too many suppliers and unstable co-operations; long and complicated processes being difficult for "one piece flow"; conflict between improved efficiency through Lean and unchanged orders; cost impact being hard to reflect and how to share the benefit of Lean among multiple parties etc. The writer gave detailed study and workable suggestions to above issues, which could be good reference for the enterprises which are doing Lean.So far, there are not many researches being done about Lean production on manufactures like footwear industry, being high labor density and complicated process. It's time for China, the "factory of the world", to change the traditional mindset of manufacturing, and improve level of management and cost control, in order to put herself in a more competitive position,...