What is this Lean Thing?

So What Is This Lean Thing?

I have gotten a few questions on what exactly this Lean thing is and why we are doing it.  Lean is a process pioneered by Toyota and implemented in shops all over the world.  It is about continually improving every process you and your employees, from manufacturing to cleaning the bathroom.  Most of the time it is implemented in large production facilities, but we are implementing it in our 2 person shop thanks to concepts laid out in Paul Akers’ book 2 Second Lean. Below is lean in a nutshell, courtesy of Paul.

Lean in a Nutshell!

  1. Continuous improvement comes from fixing what bugs you everyday!
  2. Lean is all about the elimination of the 8 deadly wastes.
    • Overproduction
    • Overprocessing
    • Motion
    • Waiting
    • Transportation
    • Inventory
    • Rework of Defects
    • Unused Employee Potential    
  3. Waste is eliminated through continuous improvement.

Important Lean Principles

  • Lean thinkers encourage other peoples creativity, respect for people.
  • Lean thinkers don’t own ideas, it is always a team effort.
  • Lean thinkers say they are wrong at least 2 times a day.
  • Improvements are endless because waste is like gravity.
  • 90% of everything you and I do is waste.
  • Never look at the waste of others, you will always have plenty of your own!
  • Lean is not about working fast, but rather working smooth.