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LEAN IS ABOUT LEARNING TO SEE OPPORTUNITIES AND CONTINUALLY IMPROVING THEM.
Lean manufacturing (or thinking) can help companies gain a competitive advantage. The core idea is to maximize customer value while minimizing waste (and not compromising productivity).
Lean is more than a specific tool, management technique or software package. Lean is creating and implementing processes that are highly responsive to customer demand. Lean paves the way for delivery of high quality products and services, at the right location, at the right time, all in a cost effective manner.
Ideally, the new processes optimize all parts of the value chain so that you do more with less-less labor, capital, and time.
Lean Principles Provide A Framework
Lean Thinking is comprised of five fundamental principles that provide a framework for creating an efficient organization:
1. Specify Value - End-use customer view
2. Identify Value Stream - Activities that create value
3. Flow - Make value flow
4. Pull - Respond to customer demand
5. Perfection - Zero waste
Lean is Customer First; what is value in the eyes of the customer? What features do they want? When do they want them and at what price? Without this information, how can you design your ideal system?
This value needs to flow from raw materials through to the consumer. This is Just In Time manufacturing (JIT), producing what the customer wants when they...