ABSTRACT
The process of selecting and "developing" a supplier-partner in a Lean organization is, in some ways, similar to the engineers' one within the company. Companies achieve long-term results thanks to systems that integrate beliefs and values, principles, philosophy, and processes, which provide the basis for the results themselves. Setting clear short-term micro-objectives, as well as a long-term vision with broad goals focused on positively influencing customers, allows ideas to flow within a work group and can be real "catalysts" of progress. The loss of global responsibility is one of the less visible wastes or dysfunctions often present in many companies, due to the fragmentation of decisions, tasks, and roles between different people and different departments. The Simultaneous Engineers are very experienced people, the ones most familiar with the manufacturing issues, having already experienced and resolved many issues firsthand. The real key to individual and corporate success is based on the proper balance between "technical" and "social" excellence.
