We, 18 fervent lean & smart experts,  travelled to Germany to immerse ourselves into the industry 4.0 & Lean thinking and its successful application across a range of industries. We were inspired for searching that next level and we returned home with a better understanding of how industry 4.0 & lean go hand in hand and can be successfully implemented and sustained.

 

"The Lean Factory 4.0 of the future" 

 

First stop was at SEW a Smart Lean Factory of the Future.  SEWEURODRIVE is an innovative & customer orientated family business with principles of "one-piece flow" and "small factory unit”. Perfectly implemented lean principles and Industry 4.0 methods create the basis for networked efficient production in batch sizes of just one unit if need. Also people will continue being at the center of the value chain, telling the machines what to do (and not the other way around). This “decentral” and “self-optimization” production philosophy is far away from the “dark, unmanned factory” controlled by a central computer. 

 

 

The next stop Siemens : Digital factory of the future !! A digital transformation with motivated People. Although machines and computers can control around 75 percent of the chain fully automatically, human input remains necessary. In this way the automated and digital Siemens factory can now produce very flexible the growth (12x) of Simatic-PLC (1000 variants) with very high quality (6 sigma) without people increase ! Siemens is proving that Lean manufacturing, automatization , digitalization and motivated employees can reinforce each other and go hand in hand.

 

On our last day we had a great experience @ Bosch & Atmo : Industry 4.0 Lean factory of the future. ATMO a leading Industry 4.0 supplier for assembly, process and testing equipment. The benchmark team was impressed on the industry 4.0 tour and cases. Next we experienced a transparant , Ind 4.0 and Lean high-pressure diesel pump value stream powered by Passion : “We are BOSCH” 

On our way home with a lot of inspiration we were ready to start implementing ideas! 

 

LEAN LEAD BENCHMARK EXPERIENCE :
Inspiring each other! Creating Impact! Acting with Passion!