Understanding Lean's Core Components, Part 1

Lean as a term is often used interchangeably to refer to a number of different, interconnected topics, often making it difficult for new practitioners to understand what exactly is being discussed, debated or taught. To address this confusion, topics are often broken down into four core components. These four components are as follows. There is the objective state of being lean (in other words, the target state of efficiency that a company wishes to achieve). There is lean as an ongoing process of continuous improvement. There is the set of methods and tools that make up lean. And there is the philosophy and ongoing debate that's concerned with the foundation and direction of lean thinking. Fully understanding each component and how they relate to one another should be a high priority for any manufacturer.

The objective state of being lean is usually seen as the pinnacle of the production practice, wherein the company itself has become operationally lean in all aspects. Successful facilities that have achieved this state are often examined in case studies that detail their respective approaches and the relative success of their methods. These case studies provide a thorough (and some say the most informative) analysis of the real-world implications of the lean approach.

As you explore these organizations, you'll come to understand how truly successful manufacturers recognize that there is no one state of being that stands as a definitive endpoint for this process. What truly defines success in lean thinking is the achievement of a state of lean continuous improvement, as we'll discuss in our next entry.

Lean's Core Components

The advancement and development of lean is dependent upon a dense field of study. While any tool, method or philosophy in its collection could be boiled down to embody the production practice's main goal (preserve value for the customer through less work), its multifaceted applications mean different things to different industries. Furthermore, different applications and definitions bear certain relevance depending on the topic or conversation. This can make things somewhat confusing for those who are just starting to learn about the production practice. In order to address this confusion concepts are often broken down into four fundamental components: lean as an objective state of being, lean as an ongoing process of improvement, lean has a collection of tools and methodologies, and lean as a body of philosophical thought.

Dividing the concepts into these four components serves a number of purposes. Most relevant to this article is how the separate components draw attention to the expansive nature of lean and its applications. People who are just starting out learning about the production practice are usually only aware of the term being applied to a manufacturing organization in order to describe its objective state of being. This classification can be misleading, because while it may be apt to deem an organization as such, it often implies that they have reached an endpoint in their process. In truth, there is no endpoint for these organizations. Those who have truly succeeded will always be on the lookout for new or different ways to change and improve. This ongoing process is often seen as the second component, an adopted mindset that will continue to inform the decisions that will determine the future of the organization.

For new inductees, the most easily understood component is usually the collection of methods and tools that make up the production practice. Because these tools (and their results) are well documented and recorded, they are somewhat more tangible and therefore easier to comprehend. Six Sigma Training, A3 Problem Solving, 5S, Value Stream Mapping—these are all well known tools with reams of accompanying documentation. People are often introduced to lean through learning about these tools because many of their core concepts accurately reflect the fundamental tenets of the larger philosophy, making them a good way to ease into learning about the production practice as a whole.

The most complex component is the philosophy behind the production practice. Lean continues to grow and change with the market demands of each new fiscal year, reflecting both the needs of various manufacturing industries and the ever-changing demands of the consumer. While this complexity makes this component the most difficult to fully comprehend, it is at the heart of why this production practice has proven so successful over the many years since its inception. Advancing the philosophy depends on the ongoing debate that takes place at conferences, think tanks and in analytical papers. The core concept that never changes is, again, anything that preserves value through less work. Ultimately, every aspect of lean revolves around this concept, and how best to put it into practice.

The Benefits of Prioritizing Continuous Improvement

Manufacturers who have already achieved success through the implementation of various lean manufacturing principles will often point to their new dedication to continuous improvement as one of its greatest benefits. Lean will deliver these benefits to any organization that successfully adopts it, but it is the results of continuous improvement that gets most people talking.

In the early stages of an organization's adoption of lean, many will note the elimination of wastes to be a prime goal, with continuous improvement only a distant objective. However, most will come to recognize that continuous improvement is a welcome result of the overall process. In the manufacturing world that result can be the difference between the life and death of any organization. Certainly such organizations will find initial success with the proper adoption of certain lean concepts and principles, but it's entirely possible that afterwards they will disregard the necessity for continuous improvement and soon find themselves left in the dust as their opposition pulls ahead.

This remains a simple, yet oft forgotten rule among early adopters of lean. With the first rush of success that they encounter, distant goals like continuous improvement can be completely forgotten. It doesn't help matters that the concepts and tools that must be learned are rather complicated and require the complete dedication of participants in order for it to deliver results. Any manufacturing organization can adopt a few of these tools and concepts and experience quick success. However, it takes a truly successful manufacturing organization to prioritize continuous improvement.

Lean Success through Process Improvement

Undergoing process improvement through the use of lean will offer participants a wealth of options for bettering their manufacturing organization. Lean is an extensive collection of flexible strategies and techniques that can be applied to a diverse number of organizations, and it is this flexibility that has given lean such a positive and well-respected reputation.

While the fundamentals of lean thinking were derived from the Toyota Production System, modern lean philosophy has, over the years, incorporated a much more extensive collection of tools and philosophies in order to further diversify its applications. Today, it's possible to focus only on improving the product development process with the appropriate lean-centric tools. Generally, production systems that lean encourage followers to utilize focus on the reduction of waste and the emphasis of customer value. Because that focus has such utilitarian functionality, it can be applied to any area of concern in a manufacturing organization.

Lean values and tools constantly prove their worth throughout the product development cycle. The core principles of lean were originally developed for process improvement in product development, for one, and it's a relatively easy process to track results in this environment, for another. The tools you'll use in this situation will help you identify key waste areas in your organization--those that both diminish value for the end consumer and cost you funds. By targeting fundamental flaws in your manufacturing line, lean reveals and removes the threat of repeated problems that would otherwise plague your operation for years to come.