CHAPTER 1

A Brief Introduction to Lean

Have you ever been frustrated because you needed to wait a long time for a good or service to be delivered to you? Do you sometimes feel that companies do not value your time and decrease your personal productivity because they cause you to wait idly while they take their time to serve you? Have you ever had experiences similar to any of the following?

1.You arrived at the doctor’s office on time; you were even a few minutes early. Then, you waited in the waiting room, well past your appointment time, before being called into an examination room. Then, you waited again in the exam room until the doctor finally arrived.

2.You ordered furniture, maybe a sofa or a chair, from a company that makes furniture ...

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