Lean optimization is a continuous process that should always start with the same question: what does the customer want? More important (and much cheaper) than installing software, automation and tools is to get everyone in your company onto the same page, communicate the goals as they change and empower your workers to reach them.

It is then, that you will see clearly where software and automation can help. Getting a digital representation of your process that provides you with real-time information will allow you apply the principles in this book in a more systematic fashion. It is then, that you will be able to make structural decisions and accurately calculate the return-of-investment that digital sensors, a new machine, and automation can bring.

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