"Sailing the Seven C's"

Richard Crandall and Betty Coffey

Industrial Engineer

August 2005, pp. 35-39

This article explores seven phases the authors feel a company must go through to move from batch production to a lean and agile approach:

1. Commitment—"This commitment requires top management support and implies participation, funding for resources, and recognition for accomplishments";
2. Concept—"A program concept is an understanding of what to do, what to accomplish, who will be responsible, and when it will be completed. The concept should be a big-picture view of the program that provides a direction and scope for those who will participate in the design and implementation process";
3. Configuration—"This phase involves the physical changes necessary in the administrative, manufacturing, and distribution processes. While these visible changes may be relatively straightforward, they can cost significant amounts of money and time";
4. Communication—"This phase involves designing and implementing the data exchange systems needed to achieve instantaneous data transfer, both within the company and among companies in the supply chain";
5. Culture—Changing the culture "requires an understanding of human relations and a willingness and ability to make major changes in individual thinking and team actions";
6. Coordination—Coordination "suggests that companies understand what their suppliers or customers want and need and what each participant should do to help achieve the objectives";
7. Collaboration—"Collaboration implies a greater level of interconnectivity between customer and supplier. Collaboration involves freely sharing information and working together to develop a more meaningful plan for the flow of both information and goods through the supply chain."

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