Who made the sneakers you're wearing right now? There's an excellent chance you will say one of only a handful of names. Like many corrugated box manufacturers, global players like these are into lean manufacturing. But while cutting costs is very important, getting a pair of shoes from the drawing board to a consumer's feet as quickly as possible is critical and better defines the lean ideal these companies are trying to achieve. "It's all about reducing the time to market, say, from six months to three months [for any new shoe project]," states George Jamison, vice president, international sales, Alliance Packaging, Renton, Wash. , Alliance has been making shoe boxes for a major athletic shoe manufacturer since the mid-1990s. "Time to market is not only about reducing costs but flexibility, responsiveness, and lowering inventories."
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