Over the last 15 years, firms attempting to remain competitive in a global economy have turned to lean manufacturing.  The recent popularity of lean manufacturing has led to the publication of countless books and articles on the topic.  For the most part, these publications provide a general overview of lean manufacturing rather than a practical application. 

In addition to the countless books and articles, new lean approaches and methodologies have also appeared, each promising consumers amazing results.  Yet, none of these so called lean approaches are even remotely applicable in all manufacturing applications, especially for firms with low volume/high mix applications or those working in job shop environments.   

Some lean programs, such as Six Sigma, place too much emphasis on statistical analysis and on the creation of an internal corporate hierarchy.  The statistical analysis in and of itself does nothing to improve the bottom line, nor does it provide any foundation for a cultural change.  At some point, those using a statistical approach must return to basic lean manufacturing principles if they wish to address their findings.   Meanwhile, the creation of an internal class system only serves to further widen the gap within the corporate hierarchy.   

Furthermore, most of these lean programs fail to address the importance of self-directed work teams and effective interpersonal skills that are required for a full lean manufacturing deployment, that is until now, meet Evolver®.

What Is Evolver®?
The purpose of Evolver® is to provide users with highly effective lean tools that work for everyone, from executive management to the rank and file, in any type of manufacturing environment.  Evolver® is a common sense, real world approach that was written by a manufacturing professional specifically for manufacturing firms.

Many of the original lean concepts that were established by those involved in the original Toyota Production System are written in a very rigid manner making them highly effective in select environments and difficult or impossible to apply in others.  However, many lean practitioners will lead you to believe that the original concepts are applicable in all manufacturing environments.  This is unfortunate because many firms beginning their lean transition waste too much time attempting to make the original concepts “work” in their environments.  When the original lean concepts can not be applied, this causes frustration, failure, and the loss of time and money.  The reality is that many of the original concepts must be slightly “tweaked” or accompanied by complementary concepts to make them applicable in a greater number of manufacturing environments. 

Evolver® provides the necessary changes to the original concepts and introduces new complementary lean concepts and approaches that can work in any environment.  When applicable, both the original lean concepts and the Evolver® exclusive concepts are presented in this guide to provide firms the opportunity to select the right tool for their individual applications.  Evolver® also demonstrates how, when and where to apply both the original concepts, as well as the Evolver® exclusive approaches.  This is a practitioner’s guide to lean manufacturing, not a lean overview.  With Evolver®, there is something for everyone. 

At the end of the day, lean manufacturing in any form is nothing more than the application of common sense combined with a new “tool” or a new way of “looking” at a manufacturing process.  With this in mind, a lean implementation should not cost firms tens of thousands of dollars to implement.  Evolver® offers a highly effective low-tech approach that allows firms to make a difference in the workplace immediately, without requiring a large expenditure.