When Cascade Engineering adopted lean manufacturing principles, some of its suppliers struggled through a period of adjustment. Cascade, a USD200-million-a-year global manufacturer based in Grand Rapids, Mich., designs and builds durable plastic components that go into automobiles, home and office furniture, and other products. To support its lean manufacturing model-which calls for building only as many products as are needed to fill current orders-Cascade asked its suppliers to deliver smaller amounts of parts at more frequent intervals.
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