Push Vs Pull : The Manufacturing Difference

One of the most important distinctions between traditional manufacturing and Lean Production Systems is the contrast between push and pull approaches. The choice between these two systems determines how efficiently resources are used, how much waste is created, and how responsive the business is to customer demand.

In a push system, production begins without a confirmed customer requirement or even order.

Parts and Goods are manufactured in advance and then pushed downstream, either to another internal process, warehouse or directly to the marketplace.

While this can keep machines running at full capacity, it introduces significant problems:

• Overproduction – items, parts are produced without real demand. Whilst parts with demand wait for machines to be free. This can be caused by making parts in large batches because there is a belief it "saves time" 

• Excess inventory – unsold parts, goods pile up, during production in the factory and in the warehouse, tying up capital.

• Marketing pressure – businesses often resort to discounts, promotions, or heavy advertising to create demand for products already produced.

• Uncertainty – even with investment in sales, there’s no guarantee the market will absorb the goods. Goods can sit on the warehouse shelving for years. No-one wants to write off the labour and material investment in the items made in the hope they'd sell.

By contrast, a pull system only produces when the next process — or the customer — signals a requirement. In other words, demand triggers production.

In a pull-driven Lean system:

• Each process only produces what the next process needs. If you're thinking we make large batches to keep the cost down, it won't if they stop other orders coming through.

• Work-in-progress (WIP) is minimised, often approaching zero. Though the best Pull systems don't risk your business by having no stock, they have stock in the right places.

• Waste is eliminated. Production aligns directly with market demand, meaning time and materials are only used on what can be sold.

• Flexibility increases, allowing manufacturers to adapt quickly to changes.

• Customer satisfaction improves, as resources are focused on delivering real value.

The strength of pull is its close alignment with market dynamics. Instead of spending time, money and energy on pushing products into the market, guessing (forecasting) organisations can:

• Maintain leaner operations with less tied-up capital. 

• Respond quickly to changes in customer demand.

• Improve flow across processes, since each step is triggered naturally by demand.

This responsiveness, speed to make parts and orders is one of the defining advantages of Lean Production Systems with their Pull approach.

Done right, lean production systems with Pull Systems grow the business. Without growing the costs and by reducing the Chaos!

Understanding push vs pull is fundamental to Lean thinking.

While push systems, making in batches, making the same things at the same time feels like it will be cheaper.

It often leads to overproduction and inefficiencies, lost time on machines.

Pull systems enable manufacturers to work in harmony with demand, creating efficient, waste-free, and flexible production environments. 

Pull systems don't mean no stock though, they mean stock in the right place in the right amount.