“Since U.S. furniture manufacturers typically had lead times greater than four to eight weeks, China could build and ship products to the U.S. within that same timeframe, for less cost.”
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His project team focuses on wood materials innovation and manufacturing, improvement in this vital industry, employing the lean manufacturing model initiated by Taiichi Ohno (Toyota)
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A one-week “Kaizen Blitz” (overhaul) restructured the entire facility, he said. “We reduced the amount of floor space necessary by restructuring, retooling and discovering more efficient use of space,” Benson said. “It changed the way we thought about our business.”