Page 64 - The Inside Scoop Archive

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Lean Stretch Film

Most of us are familiar with Lean Manufacturing which is popularly known as the "Toyota Way". While I am
not going to try and review the principles of lean manufacturing, I would like to pull out some of those
principles that I think apply to Lean Stretch Film.

Lean Stretch Film is not just a product or a film. It is a process whereby stretch film users apply the
principles of "lean" to their packaging requirements. Lean Stretch Film requires:

l Operations Managers, Warehouse Managers, and Purchasing Managers who understand value.
l Managers who know the difference between "cost" and "price".
l Managers who are willing to be pro-active in reducing costs, and eliminating waste in their shipping and
handling process.

As a manager, you are the key to Lean Stretch Film at your company. Here is the deal, your workers,
selectors, loaders etc, can only be as productive as the packaging films that you provide for them to use.
Average workers can get brilliant results using new technology thinner hand wrap films such as Infinity PX,
PX2, and pre-stretch; and Infinity PX and Stratos machine films. Conversely, you may have the most
brilliant workers in the world, but they will only get average results if you provide them with standard
commodity stretch films to use in the wrapping process.

Lean Stretch Film is the result of:

l Experience ..... utilizing the best R & D minds in the industry to formulate New Technology stretch
films using the latest resin chemistry and extrusion processes.
l Knowledge ..... understanding how to provide the optimum load containment at the lowest possible cost.
l Skill ..... putting it all together to the greatest value to your stretch wrapping system.
l Reduce Waste ..... low neck down stretch films require fewer trips around the pallet.
l Faster Thru Put ..... easy release stretch films allow for faster wrapping of the pallet and greater
productivity.
l Reduced Costs ..... thinner films that are stronger than standard thick films reduce the cost per foot
wrapped by up to 50%.

Lean Stretch Film gives you a competitive advantage over your competition who is still doing it the old
fashioned way. Plus it gives you bottom line savings. The objective of Lean Stretch Film is to generate
sustainable cost savings with continuous long term benefits. Remember that every dollar you save on
packaging falls straight to the bottom line.

Besides cost savings, there are some additional process benefits of using New Technology stretch films:

l Boost Productivity ..... New Techology Films reduce film breaks and rewrapping.
l Eliminate Waste ..... New Technology Films are not easy to damage, resulting in fewer lost rolls due to

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