Just-in-time delivery at bulk prices has been made possible for Labeltronix's (Orange, CA; www.labeltronix.com) customers through the use of lean manufacturing principles. The label-making company for manufacturers of food, wine, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, and personal care products says it allows its customers to order only what they need at a fixed price with quick delivery.
According to Labeltronix, the company spent a year interviewing customers to assess their wants and then developed a lean labeling program through the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment in digital format and with quick setup time. The result is that, in addition to a low price and fast delivery (days rather than weeks), customers have greater flexibility to change information on their labels, incur less waste (fewer unused labels), and reduce their inventory costs. This system won a national award from Converter magazine in 2006.