In the rapidly evolving, innovation-driven manufacturing landscape, it’s do or die for most manufacturers, who must embrace continuous improvement practices to stay ahead. Yet, a Gartner survey reveals that only 29 per cent of supply chain organisations, including manufacturers, have built the essential capabilities to deliver on future performance. This large gap highlights the urgent need to turn the theory of continuous improvement into actionable strategies to drive measurable results.
Our industry defines continuous improvement as daily adjustments within shopfloor and factory environments that collectively drive significant improvements in productivity and efficiency to enhance business adaptability. In terms of innovation, Forbes asserts continuous improvement can turn businesses into an “innovation engine,”
The transformative continuous improvement approach can become even more powerful when paired with digital lean manufacturing.
The connection between continuous improvement and digital lean manufacturing
Integrating digital lean manufacturing with continuous improvement allows industrial enterprises to deploy a targeted strategy to foster innovation. This includes implementing innovative solutions that can be monitored and refined daily, monthly, and yearly.
Unique to the industrial sector, digital lean manufacturing builds on continuous improvement to marry “lean manufacturing principles with digital technologies to optimise production efficiency and minimise waste.” The digital lean market is rapidly growing and driven by the adoption of Industry 4.0 initiatives, leading the Research and Markets firm to predict that it will soar from roughly USD one trillion in 2024 to USD 2.23 trillion by 2030. This rapid growth underscores that this corner of manufacturing optimisation is on a trajectory that the sector cannot afford to ignore.
Real-world success: How GE leveraged a digital lean approach for rapid results
An example of a success story regarding a digital lean approach centres around General Electric (GE). Its subsidiaries, GE Aviation and GE Additive, applied digital lean manufacturing solutions across key areas of the business. This new approach allowed them to shrink the cost of four separate parts by up to 35 per cent, transforming the power plant after only 10 months.
Not bad for less than a year— this case study highlights the power of continuous improvement driven by a lean manufacturing approach.
Closing the gap: turning insights into action with the right tools
Continuous improvement is not a set and forget exercise; it’s a journey. To begin this journey, manufacturers should first benchmark their organisation with a comprehensive business assessment, such as INCIT’s Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI), Consumer Sustainability Industry Readiness Index (COSIRI) and Operational Excellence Readiness Index (OPERI).
Business transformation success post-assessment must include continuous improvement supported by digital lean manufacturing, empowering business owners through innovation and critical insights. However, businesses will also need tailored diagnostic tools, end solutions, and agile strategies to adapt quickly. This is where a dynamic platform like Prioritise + Marketplace can help manufacturing leaders and business owners to activate a new approach to accelerate transformation.
Not only is it a one-stop platform that features a range of relevant providers who offer deeper diagnostic tools and end solutions to address these identified gaps, but it can also act as a matchmaker based on assessment dimensions. The key features include pinpointing solutions for targeted improvements, streamlining industrial transformation, focusing alignment with assessment frameworks, regional and dimensional customisation, and enabling a faster path to measurable outcomes.
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