What Is Agile Manufacturing?
The ability to deliver a rapid response to changing customer needs is paramount in today’s intense business climate. Companies that are not able to adapt quickly and effectively are in danger of losing ground to faster, nimbler competitors.
Competitive manufacturers in industries such as feed & grain, food & beverage, cement and aggregate — as well as the companies that serve them — are making the transition to agile manufacturing to keep up with the evolving needs and demands of their customer base.
The Agile Manufacturing Approach
An agile manufacturing approach entails the development and use of processes, equipment, tools and training methodologies designed to allow the organization to adapt quickly to customer demands and market changes — without incurring higher operating costs or sacrificing quality.
The ability to harness and leverage the most innovative industry-specific technologies is vital to successful agile manufacturing implementation. By doing so, it gives designers, engineers and production personnel prompt access to the information they need to integrate timely and relevant improvement steps into their processes.
Agile Manufacturing vs. Lean Manufacturing
Agile manufacturing is sometimes confused with lean manufacturing, although they are two separate, but often complementary, processes. While agile manufacturing focuses on providing a quick response to changing customer needs, the lean manufacturing concept addresses cost reduction through the elimination of wasteful processes. Agile manufacturing often includes the incorporation of lean manufacturing steps to reduce waste and repetition that could impede the organization’s ability to respond rapidly to changing customer demands.
Deca Vibrator Adheres to Agile Vibration Manufacturing Principles
At Deca Vibrator Industries, Inc., we understand that our customers often need to respond quickly to a changing market environment. We have incorporated agile manufacturing practices into our industrial vibration and material handling equipment design and production processes to meet the evolving needs of our customer base. We’re able to respond more quickly than many of our less nimble competitors that still rely on slower, less efficient processes. This allows us to deliver faster results without cutting corners.
Agile Manufacturing and Customization Work Seamlessly Together
Unlike many of our competitors, we do not believe that offering only off-the-shelf vibration and bulk material handling solutions serves the best interests of our customers. Instead, we consult with our customers to develop a customized solution that solves their particular challenges. The ability to customize requires agility — there is no way to anticipate the needs of every customer, which means we must be able to accommodate a wide variety of requests.
Consequently, an agile manufacturing approach is essential for providing the best possible service to every customer. We’re always ready to respond, regardless of the size, scope or uniqueness of the project.
