t also requires that the company is able to change from one product to another quickly and with as little disruption as possible so that products can still be manufactured in time to meet customer demand. Rather than having static work processes and work teams, lean manufacturing environments depend on dynamic work processes and work teams. This requires that cross functional teams be created so that all facets of the production process (including designing the product and delivering it to the customer) are fully understood and streamlined to include only the value-added steps ("Using Lean Principles," 2000, p. 1).
Cross-Functional Teams in Lean Environments
Cessna, which manufactures general aviation aircraft, decided to use lean manufacturing techniques when it began producing aircraft in a new factory in Independence, Kansas. There is a wide variety of aircraft manufactured here, from the four-seater 172 Skyhawk (used primarily as a trainer for beginning pilots) to the Citation X, a twin-engine business jet that costs more than $17 million (not including accessories such as passenger entertainment systems). The challenges that faced Cessna as it moved to a lean manufacturing environment are instructive in the features of teams in lean manufacturing settings.
Cessna moved from a dealer network where unsold planes would be held as inventory (similar to the way in which automobiles are sold) to a distribution system which focused on building aircraft once orders are received. Sales representatives receive commissions on their sales, and buyers often pick up their planes from the flight line in Kansas. This represents a significant change in the way that the company delivers the product to its cus
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