2007-05-15 00:07:36 -

NORWICH, Conn., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Patent Office approved the trademark Lean Procurement(TM), a strategic service and approach developed by New England industrial product distributor Consumers Interstate Corporation.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070514/NEM125LOGO )

"Lean Procurement(TM) is a strong complement to companies' other lean manufacturing efforts," says Kenn Fischburg, President of Consumers Interstate. "It applies similar strategies to cut the fat and build lean muscle and smooth flow in this often overlooked area of procuring their supplies, which involves activities from inventory control to accounts payable. But it's not about continuous

improvement: it's a powerful rethink and redesign of the whole procurement process; that yields dramatic results, top and bottom line.

The Company's proven solution has already been implemented successfully for hundreds of manufacturers throughout New England. It begins with a no-cost analysis that reveals all of the choke points, overlaps and wasted activities, and exactly where and how they can save significant time, costs and paperwork. Then it lays out a detailed road map, and offers expert help from Consumers to put a faster, easier and online procurement process in place; including employee training. "Our end goal," says Fischburg," is to get customers' deep into what we call a 'lean zone' across all of their operational activities and not just the usual manufacturing ones."

On June 13, Consumers will host an intensive, by-invitation-only day of discussions, insights and opportunities around making business lean, or leaner - by reducing wasted steps and costs in manufacturing, logistics and distribution processes, and ramping up overall efficiency, control and competitive advantage. The focus will include lean procurement.

Consumers Interstate is an advanced factory supplies distributor- doing business since 1947. Its e-commerce expertise is well recognized, and reflected in its also-patented Priority Program(R) that uses the Internet to simplify procurement for existing customers. The Company also provides an online resource for businesses to more efficiently manage their supply-buying, http://www.supersupplies.com/, as well as an active retail supply site http://www.toiletpaperworld.com/.

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Source: Consumers Interstate Corporation