Manufacturing Expert Lisa Anderson Says Sustainability Integral With Smart Manufacturing

Smart manufacturing includes recyclability and energy and waste reduction, leading to sustainability and cost savings

Published: Thursday, December 17, 2020 - 12:00

(LMA Consulting Group: Claremont, CA) -- Manufacturing and supply chain expert,  Lisa Anderson, president of LMA Consulting Group Inc., is seeing manufacturers embrace smart manufacturing with a sustainable approach. Not only are manufacturers embracing the use of AI and other technologies, but they are also looking to improve packaging, products, and ultimately the supply chain. With improved designs and processes, products and packaging, smart manufacturing now includes recyclability and energy and waste reduction, leading to sustainability and cost savings. LMA Consulting Group works with manufacturers and distributors on strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation to maximize the customer experience and enable profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth.

Much has changed since the old days when manufacturers were primary polluters of the environment with their facilities and waste. “Manufacturers have upgraded facilities, partnered with suppliers and used new technologies to improve their production output, reduce waste and increase their sustainability,” says Anderson. “They have also worked with the extended supply chain and used technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT to improve the end-to-end supply chain flow and logistics. A by-product has been the ability to leverage these improvements to redesign products and processes, which has led to product and service improvements that result in reductions in materials and waste and improvements in recyclability and other environmental considerations.”

Manufacturing improvements and changes can affect the entire supply chain. From suppliers to logistics to customers, making a small change or improvement in materials and packaging can significantly affect a supplier’s supplier and how a product reaches its final destination. “As more manufacturers take the time to reexamine their products and processes, more opportunities exist,” says Anderson. “Smart manufacturing is more than installing new equipment or a robot to improve production. To maximize the benefits of smart manufacturing, manufacturers must include an evaluation of the entire supply chain. It is like taking something apart and putting it back together. While tedious, it can be a huge learning experience resulting in great breakthroughs. We see it all the time. The results have been outstanding both from a cost-savings standpoint, as well as in sustainability. No matter the size, manufacturers are smart. If they take the time to examine their products, processes and supply chains, they will find ways to make improvements that can make huge impacts with rippling effects.”

Anderson recently published an eBook, Future-Proofing Manufacturing & the Supply Chain Post COVID-19  that provides insights, advice and experiential value for creating the customer experience.

About The Author

LMA Consulting Group

LMA Consulting Group, Inc. is a consulting firm that specializes in manufacturing strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation.  Founder and president, Lisa Anderson, focuses on maximizing the customer experience and enabling profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth. Anderson is a recognized Supply Chain thought leader by SelectHub, named a Top 40 B2B Tech Influencer by arketi group, a Top 50 ERP Influencer by Washington-Frank, one of the most influential in Supply Chain by SAP and a woman leader in Supply Chain by RateLinx. She recently published I’ve Been Thinking, strategies for creating bold customer promises and profits and an eBook, Future-Proofing Manufacturing & the Supply Chain Post COVID-19.