The Japanese concept of “lean manufacturing” has made it to Starbucks.  The coffee-shop company is doing all it can to outlast the economic difficulties presented by the general state of the economy as well as sharper competition from the likes of McDonald’s, where these same kinds of techniques have been in place for some time.  Recall that in Chapter 10 we mentioned “time-and-motion studies” in relation to the determining how costs behave.  Once the behavior is understood, measures can be taken to reduce the costs where possible.

Latest Starbucks Buzzword: ‘Lean’ Japanese Techniques. Julie Jargon. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Aug 4, 2009. pg. A.1