Easier, Simpler, Faster: Systems Strategy for Lean It

Duane Jones has worn several hats at Lantech, and has served the companyas material handler, engineering change coordinator, and productionscheduler. When Lantech decided to go lean, he became amember of the kaizen team for the lean effort. After implementingLantech’s ERP system in 1995, he learned to program (without any previousexperience) and subsequently trained others in the customizationof the new ERP system. Duane then became Lantech’s IS TeamLeader, a position he holds to this day. In this capacity, he is responsiblefor hardware, software, and application integration in our company.He has served as consultant to Lantech’s European affiliateduring its ERP implementation in 2003 and continues to apply leanprinciples directly within IS as well as in any IS customer projects.While at Lantech, Jean Cunningham was the company CFO andresponsible for corporate services, HR, accounting, information systems,telecom, facilities, and many of the com pany’s continuousimprovement activities until 1999. Fluid in project responsibilities,she was appointed project sponsor for implementation of the ERPsystem in 1995 and was also involved with Lantech’s very first m anufacturingkaizen events in 1992, geared to im plem ent lean on thefactory shop floor. After leaving Lantech, Jean assumed a similar leanleader position while serving as CFO for a door manufacturing companythat adopted lean as a business strategy. Jean frequently providesconsulting services to companies interested in lean manufacturing, ISimplementation in a lean environment, and lean accounting.