Final answer:
Option 'a' is not a lean manufacturing principle because lean manufacturing uses a pull system where production is based on actual demand, not a push system. Lean principles focus on eliminating waste, achieving high inventory turnover, and maintaining strong vendor relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principle of lean manufacturing that is not correctly described as a lean manufacturing principle is 'Products are pushed from the production end to the customer'. In lean manufacturing, the focus is on a pull system, where products are produced based on actual demand rather than predicted. Lean manufacturing emphasizes the elimination of waste (non-value adding activities), achieving high inventory turnover rates, reducing the amount in the system, and having close, cooperative relationships with vendors—especially in contexts such as just-in-time delivery, which reduces warehousing needs and ensures immediate identification of quality issues.
Lean manufacturing aligns with the idea of economies of scale, which refers to reducing the average cost of production as the quantity of output increases. Companies like Costco and Walmart utilize this concept by operating large-scale warehouse stores that can offer lower per-unit prices. Similarly, bulk reducing industries choose locations close to raw materials to minimize transportation costs of heavier, more expensive inputs compared to their lighter, less expensive outputs.
In contrast to lean manufacturing, in traditional push systems, goods are produced in large quantities based on forecasts, potentially leading to high inventory levels and increased waste. Hence, option 'a' describes a non-lean approach to manufacturing.