Sewn products manufacturers often rely heavily on manual labor. While some degree of automation is typically involved—usually early in the value stream such as spreading material and cutting markers—this approach often results in large work-in-progress (WIP) batches, high inventories and long lead times as bundles of materials sit idle.

The cabinet manufacturing business has a long tradition of building cabinets in a specific way. While times have changed and technology has gotten better, the processes for manufacturing wooden cabinets for this particular Stream client haven't changed—until now.