Anderson, Joe S. and Williams, Susan K. (2013) Norchem drug testing: A small company's lean journey: Working paper series--13-02. Working Paper. NAU W.A. Franke College of Business.
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Abstract
In response to competitive pressures and business opportunities, Norchem Drug testing had committed to and successfully pursued a transition to lean thinking and processes. Norchem, a small, northern Arizona drugs of abuse testing laboratory served clients across the West and Midwest of the U.S. In business for approximately 15 years, Norchem had grown steadily and profitably due, in part, to its relentless application of lean. Initially starting with lab operations, it had begun to extend lean thinking into other functions of the company, notably the accounting/finance area. Bill Gibbs, the CEO, and some of his staff described the struggles and successes of implementing lean in a small, service-oriented company. While many in-house processes had achieved an enviable level of lean, there were still areas in which it was striving to reduce waste and improve processes. Of specific concern was its relationship with a major supplier. As a small customer of a larger supplier, Norchem was challenged to influence the supplier to better support Norchem's lean processes. In addition, the company was reconsidering its strategy of customer responsiveness due to a changing market that has again increased competitive price pressure.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Working Paper) |
|---|---|
| Publisher’s Statement: | Copyright, where appropriate, is held by the author. |
| ID number or DOI: | 13-02 |
| Keywords: | Working paper, Production/OM, Small Business, Lean Processes |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management |
| NAU Depositing Author Academic Status: | Faculty/Staff |
| Department/Unit: | The W.A. Franke College of Business |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Oct 2015 21:40 |
| URI: | http://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/1465 |
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