To remain profitable in today’s highly competitive pleasure boat market requires an organization to operate at a consistent level of efficiency and to deliver a repeatable level of high quality. In order to do so requires a commitment by the company to take action, shift away from the present culture and begin taking steps where measurable improvements in quality and waste reduction can be achieved. The lean process addresses these important issues.
Enter the Lean Product Development and Manufacturing Processes
The Toyota motor company first introduced the lean methodology and its resulting success began a period of transformation for many U.S.-based organizations in order to compete in product quality. Boat building, like the auto industry, has progressively become more competitive over the past few decades, mandating that companies revisit their existing manufacturing paradigms and make adjustments where necessary in design and assembly.
The Fruits of Your Labor
The transition to lean potentially offers a variety of benefits: improved product quality, greater production efficiency, reduced waste, a higher rate of new product introductions, and subsequently higher margins. It will not occur overnight nor will each facet of lean apply to each and every company but the investment made towards a transformation will progressively improve the manner and the speed in which boats are built and designed. To your sales teams it will mean remaining competitive and to your customers it will mean a higher level of quality in the ownership experience.