The journey toward demand driven manufacturing

Many industries are moving swiftly toward an era of demand driven manufacturing. However, most factories, supply chains, and customer relationships are designed around mass production/forecast based practices. How can companies adapt to become more responsive to customers with increasingly high expectations about receiving the right product, at the right place, at the right time? There are a number of lessons that one can learn from Toyota regarding lean manufacturing and Dell Computer regarding demand driven manufacturing, supply chain management, and customer interaction. Even with this knowledge, the journey toward demand driven manufacturing is not an overnight trip. Companies must make their factories more responsive by implementing lean manufacturing practices. They must also create more responsive supply chains by improving the communication across company boundaries. Finally, they need improved communication and direct relationships with customers. Only then can the journey toward demand driven manufacturing get underway.