"Is there one factor that allows some manufacturing companies to succeed while others fail? With production a level playing field, with anyone able to purchase the same equipment and facilities, hire and train the same qualified people, and purchase the same raw materials required to make a product--why is it that some companies are consistently more competitive?

The simple answer lies in manufacturing technique: how you manage and balance people, materials, and machines. And if your manufacturing organization is slow and inefficient, it's time to slim down.

"Lean" manufacturing allows manufacturers to reduce waste and maximize profits by adopting a philosophy of operation that considers value from the perspective of the customer. Far from a dry explanation of theory that simply looks good on paper, Lean Manufacturing That Works brings all the principles of lean manufacturing to where they're needed most: the shop floor. Engagingly written and easy to put to work, the book is specifically aimed at the people whose daily work involves the manufacturing floor, and it features essential tools that can help streamline operations in any manufacturing environment,

A proven "weight loss" plan for your manufacturing environment, the lean strategy allows you to expend fewer resources in delivering value to the customer. The results are growth through the taking of market share, greater profitability, and increased opportunity and stability for your employees.

Lean Manufacturing That Works provides insights into this remarkable strategy and shows how to put it to work immediately in your own operations.

In Section 1 -- the how -- Bill Carreira presents a thorough overview of lean manufacturing, with discussions of cost and cash flow; velocity and lead time; what waste is and how it affects both profit and customer satisfaction; how to quantify opportunities to become more profitable; and how to use lean manufacturing to both complement and implement business strategy.

Moving onto the why behind lean manufacturing, Section 2 gives step-by-step, dollar-by-dollar guidance on creating a lean process at virtually any manufacturing company, from laying out processes to transitioning and training employees, with valuable information on establishing metrics and ensuring continuous improvement.

According to author Carreira, 'The one and only reason to go lean is to make more money."" Lean Manufacturing That Works provides you with specific, practical information on every page, and sends you back to the shop floor with a workable plan that will transform your entire operation. It is the ultimate use-it-now book of lean."

India, a leading exporter of information-technology services, faces a fundamental puzzle. Its electronics industry is struggling despite a huge and growing domestic market and pockets of world-class capabilities.

Drawing on survey questionnaires and interviews with key private and public industry players and multinationals, this study examines how restrictive regulations and a largely dysfunctional implementation of past support policies have constrained investment in plants and equipment and technology absorption and innovation. Electronics manufacturing remains disconnected from India's chip-design capabilities which are integrated, instead, into global networks of innovation and production. India's growing domestic demand for electronic products results in rising imports of final products and high import-dependence for key components.

Bold action is required to change the anemic growth of electronics manufacturing just when the global electronics industry is rapidly ending historical strategies for growth. To achieve its potential, electronics manufacturing in India must move beyond "high-volume, low-cost" activities, towards a greater focus on "low-volume, high-value" production and on frugal innovation for the domestic market.

The government's National Policy on Electronics is a first step on this path, but it needs to be complemented by reforms relating to taxation, customs, compliance, and inspections. Equally important are efforts to enhance the strategic use of technical standards and smart approaches to international trade diplomacy.

The only book about planning for a "superplant," by the author who created the concept In an environment of increasingly globalized manufacturing, a very long production line that spans the globe is more common than ever. For an increasing number of corporations, multi-plant planning is a reality. "Superplant" describes the ability to plan separate locations as if they were part of one giant plant - or superplant, and is the more accurate modeling of location interdependencies for production and supply planning than is provided by standard advanced planning functionality. This book delves into the three advanced functionalities that must be enabled for superplant planning: multi-plant planning, subcontracting and multi-source planning. By reading this book you will: Investigate how multi-site planning works from a design perspective. Learn about the functionality that exists to specifically address multi-plant planning and understand why most supply planning software can do nothing with multiple plants. Explore in-depth the PlanetTogether application, which targets the unique planning requirements of a superplant. Learn how to set up master data objects to support multi-plant planning functionality. Improve Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through proper deployment of multi-plant planning functionality. Examine how subcontracting and contract manufacturing fit into the superplant concept.

Globalization and new technologies are impacting the desirability and feasibility of what has historically been the most successful development strategy. Manufacturing has been seen as special, promising both productivity gains and job creation. But trade is slowing. Global value chains (GVC) are maturing. Robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and the Internet of things are shifting what makes locations attractive for production and threatening significant disruptions in employment. There is a risk of increased polarization, within countries and across countries. Shifting the attention from high-income countries, this report takes the perspective of developing countries to ask: -- If new technologies reduce the importance of low-wage labor, how can developing countries compete? -- Do countries need to industrialize to develop? -- How can countries at different levels of development take advantage of new opportunities? Development strategies need to broaden. Different manufacturing sub-sectors can still provide productivity growth or jobs; fewer can deliver both. Many of the pro-development characteristics traditionally associated with manufacturing--tradability, scale, innovation, learning-by-doing--are increasingly features of services. With faster diffusion of technology, it will be all the more important for countries to improve the enabling environment, remain open to trade, and support capabilities of firms and workers to ensure future prosperity is shared.