Article at a glance:

Applying lean manufacturing in China

• With so many manufacturers pouring into China, companies must now look beyond its inexpensive workforce to gain a competitive advantage.
• Lean-manufacturing techniques are the best way to eliminate rampant factory waste. But in the rush to expand, few companies have bothered with them.
• The rigid hierarchies of China's factories and the rudimentary skills of many Chinese workers and managers pose big hurdles to implementing lean techniques.
• Companies must lay the groundwork by improving their performance and the skills of their workers.