QUESTION:

How would you advise a company that wanted to leverage lean to reduce their workforce quickly?

Lean does not mean one shot effort at reducing cost .It is the reduction of cost through continuous improvement to quality and processes. This is cost saving in the sense that eliminates inefficiencies and promotes efficiencies (Arnheiter and Maleyeff, 2005). Lean management is giving the right tools to human resources and teaching them to use the tools to not only improve efficiency but also improve the way of working without taking away creativity. Layoffs are seen to be an organizational source to cut cost and inefficiencies. By adopting lean techniques, organization's way of working improves and resistances to lean techniques are totally avoided. Organizations which are planning...