Industry Week has a set of discussion groups devoted to various aspects of manufacturing.  You can find the Forums home page here.

I can't find it now but there was a post somewhere on that site that allowed as how slow times were the best time to implement agile methods because that's when cost savings were most needed.

Well....maybe so, but not for the reason the writer mentions.

Slow times may or may not be the best time to implement agile methods.  I actually think busy but not "My gosh, we can't stop for a bathroom break we're so busy!!" times are the best periods to implement agile methods.

Agile methods create capacity from thin air.  (Actually, they create it from good thinking, planning, and execution but humor me.)  Agile methods reduce the cost of operating effectively in turbulent environments.  Cost cutting comes from using fewer resources to get lots of things done.  It comes from making less stuff that nobody wants right now.  As such, the benefits of agile and lean methods show up, not when the company isn't making much of anything anyway (and, therefore, has lower operating costs and more available capacity) but when lots of stuff is being made.  (I take it as a given that "lots of stuff" isn't being made if no one is buying it.  If a business is making stuff and putting it in inventory during slow times, that's another thing altogether and doesn't take an agile manufacturing implementation to fix that problem....just quit making stuff that nobody is buying.)

I don't think agile or lean methods cut costs in the traditional way.  So I don't agree that lean will "help save money when times are tough".

That said, a visionary company would be well advised to use the slow times to do the planning and training that is elemental to good agile practice.  Right now, one of my clients is doing problem solving training, supervisor training, and teambuilding for managers and supervisors during this traditional winter slowdown.  But the benefits of what they are doing (and what they did this past year) won't be very evident until they get busy again.

At that point, they'll see that lots of work gets done lots more smoothly and with less wasted time, energy, and effort.  Right now, they have lots of time and lots of capacity.  Four hours for a changeover?  No problem...we don't need to start that work order until tomorrow anyway.  Can't get a first good part?  So what?  That order isn't due for another week and we only have one other on the books.  I know what you're thinking...the company pays as much for a four hour changeover in terms of direct labor now as it does when it's busy.  But I wouldn't agree that the total cost of a four hour changeover is the same now as it will be when the company is busy.

So....now is a good time to do many things related to a successful agile initiative...but not because it will reduce costs during slow times.