For details about SAP solutions that support lean manufacturing and Six Sigma, check out the following information:

Solution Brief

• "Adaptive Manufacturing: Enabling the Lean Six Sigma Enterprise" (PDF, 178 KB) – Explore how SAP Manufacturing gives you adaptability to successfully combine lean manufacturing principles with those of Six Sigma by managing fragmented supply environments and responding competitively to volatile demand fluctuations.

White Papers

• "Adaptive Business Networks: A Strategy for Mastering Change and Efficiency in Manufacturing" (PDF, 235 KB) – Read how technology, economic drivers, industry trends, and changing business relationships support adaptive business networks – especially new product development and introduction and integrated sales and marketing.
• "Adaptive Manufacturing: Enabling the Lean Six Sigma Enterprise" (PDF, 415 KB) – Discover how SAP solutions support lean manufacturing and Six Sigma principles so that companies can intelligently adapt to exceptions and build an enterprise that lays the foundation for value creation.
• "In Pursuit of the Perfect Plant" (PDF, 3.5 MB) – Learn how you can achieve the perfect plant - your vision of a fully integrated, seamlessly operational factory - by minimizing operating costs, optimizing return on asset usage, meeting delivery targets, and satisfying compliance and quality standards with SAP solutions.
• "The Lean Advantage for Complex Equipment Manufacturers" (PDF, 217 KB) – Find out how you can "go lean" to achieve on-time delivery, operational excellence, and continuous improvement – as well as increase revenue – by mastering the basics of lean, executing a lean strategy, and taking specific actions to ensure success.

Analyst Reports and Related Information

• "Chemical Manufacturers are Adopting ERP for their Lean Journey" (PDF, 116 KB) – Read why more and more manufacturers are recognizing the capabilities that a lean-enabled production environment can have for delivering product when the customer wants it, right when the customer requests it. Aberdeen Group (February 2007). Log-in required.
• "Different Paths to the Same Destination - Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Manufacturers Seek the Same Goal" (PDF, 125 KB) – See why medical devices manufacturers are more matured in the utilization of lean tools and technology than their peers in the pharmaceutical sector. Aberdeen Group (February 2007). Log-in required.
• "Early Lean Adopters Embrace Technology" (PDF, 93 KB) – Learn why aerospace and defense manufacturers are 40% more likely to be best in class performers - companies that are characterized by having an integrated lean approach and solution with technology enablers - than their peers from other industries. Aberdeen Group (February 1, 2007). Log-in required.
• "Enhancing Lean Practices: Lean Adoption in the Industrial Machinery and Components Industry" (PDF, 531 KB) – Find out why 66% of IM&C companies are relatively new adopters of lean, with initiatives less than three years old. While many IM&C companies have already secured top management approval for lean, the companies who identify and measure critical performance frequently are the ones positioned for success. Aberdeen Group (June 2006). Log-in required.
• "ERP Plays a Vital Role in the Automotive Lean Supply Chain" (PDF, 433 KB) – Consider why automotive manufacturers that rely heavily on their ERP systems and have had lean programs in place for four years or more have been most successful in bringing benefits to both the shop floor and across the enterprise. Aberdeen Group (October 13, 2006). Log-in required.
• "High-Tech Manufacturers: Ahead in the Lean Journey" (PDF, 123 KB) – Read why manufacturers in the high tech industry are 81% more likely than the general population to have had a lean initiative in place for more than five years. The lead high tech manufacturers have taken as early adopters of lean is evident, as are the results - greater operational performance across the industry. Aberdeen Group (February 23, 2007). Log-in required.
• "Lean Adoption – What Are Canadian Manufacturers Not Doing?" (PDF, 117 KB) – Discover why 35% of Canadian manufacturers do not have any activity planned for lean adoption and why Canadian manufacturers need help from lean consultants as well as technology to achieve their primary goals: improving operational factors and profitability, and sustaining lean culture. Aberdeen Group (February 2007). Log-in required.
• "Metals Manufacturers Set a Solid Lean Pace with a Customer Focus" (PDF, 123 KB) – Learn why metals manufacturers are increasingly meeting the challenge by adopting lean principles and practices in their production processes to ensure customer deliveries are met with demand-driven lean efficiency. Aberdeen Group (December 15, 2006). Log-in required.
• "Plastic Manufacturers Need to Automate Lean Tools" (PDF, 230 KB) – Understand why manufacturers of plastic products are more than twice as likely to adopt lean technology as industry average and laggard manufacturers, but are falling behind the curve in automating lean tools. Aberdeen Group (June 2007). Log-in required.
• "Taking the Real Quantum Leap in Speed To Market" (PDF, 1 MB) – Discover why you need to consider overall fulfillment, not just the factory, to make the real quantum leap in speed to market. IndustryWeek. Log-in required.
• "The Impact of Lean on Consumer Product Manufacturers" (PDF, 98 KB) – See why consumer products manufacturers are early on in pursuit of their lean strategy, with 56% less than three years into the journey. By leveraging external expertise and taking small steps in their lean programs, these manufacturers are setting their sights on reducing cost, driving down inventory, and sustaining a culture of lean throughout the enterprise. Aberdeen Group (February 1, 2007). Log-in required.