Basics in Lean Management

Lean manufacturing, or lean sigma, originated in Japan and is a well-known tool for improving the competitiveness of manufacturers around the world. Lean manufacturing improves the planning, control, and management of a manufacturing system by using simple and effective tools such as kanbans, pacemaker, value stream mapping, 5s, just-in-time (JIT), standard operating procedures, load leveling, pull manufacturing, and others, as illustrated in Fig. 1.1. Common features of these tools are transparency, ease of understanding and communication, and ease of use. However, the philosophy of low volume and high diversity and pull production in lean manufacturing may not be suitable for all types of factories. Nonetheless, some lean management concepts and techniques are of reference value for all factories.