Lean Thinking

Lean Thinking

“Lean thinking is the dynamic, knowledge-driven and customer-focused process by which all people in a defined enterprise continuously eliminate waste with the goal of creating value” (Murman, et al., 2002). This citation includes the three keys issues of the lean philosophy: the involvement of staff in the operation, the elimination of waste and the drive for continuous improvement and is also the basis for the Just-in-Time techniques. To reach these goals lean thinking follow the 5 lean principles (Pcchi, 2000)

• Value: specify and enhance value

• Value Stream: identify the value stream and remove waste

• Flow: make value flow without interruptions

• Pull: let the customer pull value from the producer

• Perfection: managed toward perfection

The seven forms of waste

• Overproduction

• Waiting time

• Transport

• Process

• Inventory

• Motion

• Defectives

The 5S’s

• Sort - S1 (Seiri): Keeping only essential items and everything else is to be dis-carded by using the “Red Tagging” tool to identify unneeded items. Listed on the red tagged items: Item classification, item ID and quantity, reason for red tagging, work section and date. The red tagged items are taken to a removal lo-cation, where the team make the final decision for the item to stay or not.

• Straighten - S2 (Seiton): Place things in such a way that they can be easily reached