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November 29, 2004

Lean Manufacturing on the Manufacturing Website

Lean Manufacturing is a process which finds waste far beyond the plant floor, yet more than 90% of manufacturers who consider themselves lean have never bothered to examine their marketing communication vehicles, especially, their websites.

Yes, Lean Manufacturing principles can be applied to manufacturers' websites according to Corey Wenger, President of Key-Position Web Marketing (www.key-position.com) based in Indianapolis, IN. Wenger, a manufacturing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) expert, is the first organization in North America to apply the same "kaizen" blitz approach to websites to determine if they are producing the desired and measurable results.

Usually a Kaizen blitz is done throughout the factory or plant floor to quickly discern how things might be done better, more efficiently, and to quickly eliminate obvious waste. Wenger suggests the same is true with manufacturing websites: "There are just so many obvious mistakes often made by manufacturers when setting up their websites that cause poor outcomes and lost sales opportunities."

Wenger has some key questions that assist manufacturers to evaluate their websites that can result in a Lean and highly effective marketing tool.

1. What is the purpose of the website?
   1. Lead Generator?
   2. Corporate brochure?
   3. Sales and Marketing tool?
   4. Print collateral replacement?
   
   
2. If the website were performing at an optimum level what would be the desired results?
   1. Telephone inquiry…how many?
   2. Web/email inquiry…how many?
   3. Job applicants…how many?

Wenger noted, "Once we understand what the manufacturer is attempting to accomplish with their website and the targeted results, it's easy to look at every webpage and ask whether it is advancing and achieving the desired results. If not, then time to make changes and get lean." Indeed the call-to-action for the reader of these websites is often confusing. Is the website viewer to call, complete a form, email someone? Is the idea to purchase or simply "kick tires" and view every page? The Kaizen Manufacturing Website Analysis allows a critical analysis of every website in measuring whether it achieves targeted results.

The "tweaking" process is equally quantifiable and allows for Lean principles to assess the efficacy of website changes. If the goal is to drive a pre-qualified sales pipeline, then such a measurement is implemented. Other measurements such as visitors to the website, number of telephone inquiries from the website, and ultimately conversion-to-sales data (potential customers who end up purchasing) become highly effective data to analysis and assess the website's effectiveness.

One of the key paradigms that often initiates the website analysis is when a high number of web visitors is not converted into actual sales. Conversely, a low number of visitors may have more to do with a lack of public relations announcements and search engine optimization to drive traffic to the site.

Wenger suggests a monthly internal review of the manufacturers' website to quantify if the targeted results have remained the same and a lean manufacturing assessment if it achieving those results. "If not performing up to the stated standards and results, the same processes that have revamped the plant floor can and should be used to make the continued process improvements on the website."

Contact: Corey Wenger
Brandwidth, LLC
Indianapolis, Indiana
www.morebrandwidth.com
317-238-3044
Corey@morebrandwidth.com