Lean

Lean was originally developed by Toyota as an assembly-line manufacturing methodology and it is also known as the Toyota Production System. Implementig lean production enabled the company to minimize inventory, maximize the use of multi-skilled employess, flatten the management structure, focus resources where they were needed, and deliver on demand.

Toyota focused on reducing system response time so that they were capable of immediately changing and adapting to market demands that resulted that their automobiles became made-to-order. The goal of lean production can be described as "to get the right things to the right place at the right time, the first time, while minimizing waste and being open to change".

During the 1980s, this methodology was adopted by many manufacturing companies across U.S. and Europe. For example, Dell Computers and Boeing Aircraft have embraced the philosophy of lean production with great success.

Lean manufacturing is a management philosophy focusing on reduction of the seven wastes

  • Over-production
  • Waiting time
  • Transportation
  • Processing
  • Inventory
  • Motion
  • Scrap in manufactured products or any type of business.

By eliminating waste (muda), quality is improved, production time and costs are reduced.

The ten rules of lean production can be summarized:

  1. Eliminate waste
  2. Minimize inventory
  3. Maximize flow
  4. Pull production from customer demand
  5. Meet customer requirements
  6. Do it right the first time
  7. Empower workers
  8. Design for rapid changeover
  9. Partner with suppliers
  10. Create a culture of continuous improvement

Lean on the Internet

  1. What is Lean
  2. Lean from Wikipedia
  3. Toyota Production System
  4. Toyota Production System Terms
  5. History of Lean from Wikipedia
  6. The Evolution of a New Manufacturing Paradigm
  7. Lean Manufacturing History
  8. Lean information

Books on Lean Production

  1. Hirano, Hiroyuki and Furuya, Makuto, "JIT Is Flow: Practice and Principles of Lean Manufacturing", PCS, Inc., 2006, ISBN 0971243611
  2. Carlino, Andy and Flinchbaugh, Jamie, The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 2005, ISBN 0872638316
  3. Chalice, Robert W, Stop Rising Healthcare Costs Using Toyota Lean Production Methods - 38 Steps for Improvement, 2005, ISBN 0873896572
  4. Cooper, Robert G. and Edgett, Scott J., Lean, Rapid and Profitable New Product Development, 2005, ISBN 0973282711
  5. Emiliani, M.L., with Stec, D., Grasso, L. and Stodder, J., Better Thinking, Better Results: Using the Power of Lean as a Total Business Solution, The CLBM, LLC Kensington, Conn., 2003, ISBN 0972259104
  6. Ford, Henry and Crowther, Samuel, My Life and Work, Kessinger Press, 2003, ISBN 0766127745
  7. Ford, Henry and Crowther, Samuel, Moving Forward, Kessinger Press, 2003, ISBN 0766143392
  8. George, Michael L., Lean Six Sigma For Service, McGraw-Hill, 2003, ISBN 0071418210
  9. Liker, Jeffrey, The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer, First edition, McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0071392319.
  10. Poppendieck, M. and Poppendieck T., Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit for Software Development Managers, 2003, ISBN: 0321150783
  11. Rother, Mike and Shook, John, Learning to See, Lean Enterprise Institute, 2003, ISBN 0966784308
  12. Womack, James P. and Jones, Daniel T., Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, Revised and Updated, HarperBusiness, 2003, ISBN 0743249275
  13. Levinson, William A., Henry Ford's Lean Vision: Enduring Principles from the First Ford Motor Plant, Productivity Press, 2002, ISBN 1563272601
  14. Levinson, William A. and Rerick, Raymond, Lean Enterprise: A Synergistic Approach to Minimizing Waste, ASQ Quality Press, 2002, ISBN 0873895320
  15. Yasuhiro Monden, Toyota Production System, An Integrated Approach to Just-In-Time, Third edition, Spring, 1998, ISBN 041283930X.
  16. Womack, James P. and Jones, Daniel T., Lean Thinking Free Press, 1998, ISBN 0743249275
  17. Imai, Masaaki, Gemba Kaizen, McGraw-Hill, 1997, ISBN 0070314462
  18. Womack, James P., Jones, Daniel T., and Roos, Daniel, The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production, Harper Perennial, 1991, ISBN 0060974176
  19. Shigeo Shingo, A Study of the Toyota Production System from an Industrial Engineering Viewpoint (Produce What Is Needed, When It's Needed), Productivity Press, 1989, ISBN 0915299178
  20. Ohno, Taiichi, Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production, Productivity Press, 1988, ISBN 0-915299-14-3
  21. Ford, Henry and Crowther, Samuel, Today and Tomorrow, Productivity Press, 1988, ISBN 0-915299-36-4
  22. Schonberger, Richard J., World Class Manufacturing, Free Press, 1986, ISBN 0-02-929270-0