The 5 principles of LEAN

The 5 principles of LEAN

Womack and Jones formalized LEAN and popularized it with the book “Lean Thinking”.

 

They outlined five principles :

  1. Identify value
  2. Map the value stream
  3. Create flow
  4. Establish pull
  5. Seek perfection

 

 

Identify value

To identify the value, you must think as the customer and ask the question?

What am I willing to pay?

The customer is not prepared to pay to offset the waste and inefficiency supplier.

 

Map the value stream

It’s identifying value-added operations for the development of the product or service as expected by the customer. But it is also identify non value-added operations, ie waste.

Create flow

Like a river, a workflow or administrative flow will flow more easily in a linear process where operations are connected without disruption and without interruptions.

 

Establish pull

We must produce goods or services if the customer has explicitly requested.

 

Seek perfection

Once launched dynamic transformation, we must return to the cycle of continuous improvement to bring new ideas and remove new waste.