Lean is based on the entire flow working in harmony, a predictable system and the rapid identification and correction of any discrepancies - regardless of whether the parts are in Sweden or in India.

"23 expectant employees from various professions assembled in the conference room to take part in our Lean introduction. One could easily see that the company took this very seriously and that there was tremendous interest and commitment," says Claes Edman, who is part of the Aerostructures Lean team.

The workshop included practical applications of the entire flow, from the warehouse, via the machine workshop, surface treatment, quality control, and finally, labelling and packaging. Together they created the methodologies and tools that provide daily information to both CIM and Saab regarding the status of the production system.

"CIM's employees are highly skilled in the technical work involved in the production of aircraft parts. What we had not really anticipated was the creativity and the informal internal discussions that quickly led to real solutions to the challenges that were identified during the workshop," says Claes Edman.

The plan is that during the autumn, TAML (Tata Advanced Material Limited), which manufactures composite parts for the Boeing 787 and QuEST Global Manufacturing, which produces sheet metal and machine parts for the Boeing 787, will also be given greater knowledge of Lean.