The Lean Book of Lean

1 Introduction to Lean

Welcome to The Lean Book of Lean: a not-too-daunting volume about a subject that has been the subject of ebbs and flows of popularity over the last three decades. Lean has seemed to reinvent itself over and over with a few name changes along the way. To some, it's a silver bullet capable of saving the world as we know it; to others it's had its day and should move over and let the new silver bullet take the limelight. To others still, it's just a name for a collection of tools that have been around a long time and seem to be of some practical use. For me? Well, I'm inclined towards the last group. Enough of this philosophical wittering, I've only got 70,000 words to play with, so on with the book!

In this first chapter we will do a brief exploration into what Lean is, where it can be applied and what certified level of Master Wizard you need to achieve to be confident you can apply it without destroying the universe.

The definition of Lean

“Lean Production is ‘lean’ because it uses less of everything when compared to mass production – half the manufacturing space, half the investment in tools, half the engineering hours to develop a new product in half the time. Also, it requires keeping far less than half the needed inventory on site, results in many fewer defects, and produces a greater and ever growing variety of productions.”

MIT's International Motor Vehicles Program (IMVP)

“‘Lean’ is not a new concept. If you are reducing inventory, expanding ...