The term Lean was first coined by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones in their book The Machine That Changed the World (1990). In their subsequent volume, Lean Thinking (1996), the thought process of lean was thoroughly described.
In general, lean means the relentless pursuit of the elimination of waste (muda) within an organization. They are eight categories of wastes (muda).
- Overproduction or ahead production
- Waiting for the next process or information
- Transporting extra distances
- Over processing beyond customer expectation
- Inventory that is more than bare minimum
- Excessive working motion
- Producing non-conforming parts / work.
- Untapped talents within the organization
There is a second approach to Lean, which is promoted by Toyota, in which the focus is upon improving the "flow" or smoothness of work (thereby steadily eliminating mura; "unevenness") through the system and not upon 'waste reduction' per se. Techniques to improve flow include production leveling, "pull" production (by means of kanban) and the Heijunka box. This approach is fundamentally different to conventional thinking. The lean thinking following a specific logic, starting from understanding Customer Value, identify The Value Stream, creating continuous Flow, Pulling the right resources and seeking Perfection.
Pamalex Consulting has been pioneering lean implementation in Asia Pacific since 1994. We are among the few who are capable of delivering the complete lean transformation program. Check out our flagship lean transformation program for details. Contact us at enquiry@pamalex.com.
» Read more about Lean Transformation
» Read more: The beginer’s guide to Lean, by prof Daniel Jones, LEA
