Lean and ERP: Can They Co-Exist?

Some pundits have opined that enterprise resource planning (ERP) is dead and that lean replaces it. This is like saying the car chassis is replaced by the new engine. ERP is the backbone system of a modern enterprise for integration of supply chain and administrative activities. Lean is a management philosophy, with supporting tools and techniques to run a business much faster, cheaper, better. They are NOT mutually exclusive. Lean ERP must differ from the traditional approach. Sometimes, software and setup/implementation strategy get in the way. They must be streamlined. Author: George J. Miller, Proaction Management Consultants, Oak Park, CA.