A Carrier's Lean Logistics

Go with the global manufactory's transferring to China, the competition between local enterprises and the multinational is getting more and more drastically. Lean thinking is acknowledged as a management system which can help to reduce the cost and enhance competitive, which is originated from automotive area, has been adopted by more and more China companies. Lean Logistics Management is one of the Logistics management theories. It originates from Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Japan, Inc. Its corn is to seek all kinds of wastes, which including inventories. The series of certain methods will be developed around the aim.The lean logistics is a series of management systems targeted to the lowest cost, best quality and shortest delivery time, based on the manpower and facilities, its aim is to reinforce the flexibility and agility of logistics. To carry out JIT, pull system, small batch production, Kaizen & standardization on the flow of Inbound Logistics, Production Logistics, Outbound Logistic. Thereby, we can say the Lean Logistics is means: eliminate all kinds of non valve added wastes in the process, increase customer satisfaction, continuously Improvement(Kaizen). Lots of achievements in lean have been presented and demonstrated by Carrier on Inbound Logistics and Production Logistics. But on the other hand, Carrier haven't involve the suppliers and customers to the lean logistics program so far.The paper constitutes of six chapters. It starts from the Lean thinking and its history and briefly analysis the characters of Lean Management. It discovers the origins of the theory and analysis the benefits to the companies by lean logistics. Then demonstrate the successful application in Carrier China and introduce some some new methods of Lean logistics management. At last, it summarizes Carrier's success or failure, then analysis the difficulty and its solution for promote lean logistics management in China and looks ahead the future.