Lean management enables companies to make their value chains more efficient, sustainable and productive. Quality gains and cost reductions are generated while customer orientation is improved. Lean management is an active approach to avoiding practices that waste time, money and material resources. Seamless coordination of every link in the value chain keeps the company constantly moving closer toward its customers and their needs.
Table of contents
What does lean management mean?
Where does lean management originally come from?
How important is lean management in today's process management context?
What is lean management used for?
In which areas is lean management mainly used?
What are the benefits of lean management?
What methods are used in lean management?
How can lean management capabilities be built up within the company?
How can lean management be anchored in companies in the long term?
What does lean management mean?
A clear-cut value chain permanently maintains the ability to deliver and avoids wasting resources. The result is higher product quality combined with greater customer satisfaction. Five principles of lean management must be observed:
- Identify customer value
- Identify the value stream
- Create the production flow
- Implement the pull principle
- Aim for perfection
Where does lean management originally come from?
The principle of lean management originated in the manufacturing industry, specifically in the Japanese automotive industry. It was introduced there in the middle of the 20th century. Taiichi Ōno of Toyota is regarded as the father of lean management.
How important is lean management in today's process management context?
Globalization and digitalization are making corporate value chains and customer contacts increasingly international. Climate change demands more sustainable management and the avoidance of extensive resource wastage. Today, the latter attributes not only yield financial savings and positive publicity: They have become a question of survival for the planet and the human race. Lean management has therefore never been more important than it is today.
What is lean management used for?
Lean management enables companies to improve their quality, customer orientation and sustainability. Disruptive factors such as redundancy, wasting raw materials and delivery problems are actively avoided. Ideally, lean management generates growth, strengthens a company’s market positioning and thus drives expansion.
In which areas is lean management mainly used?
Companies work with value chains especially in the manufacturing sector and in industrial production settings. Ideally, lean management should be applied in every area of such operations. That said, sectors such as logistics, administration, maintenance and project management also benefit from lean management, maximized customer centricity and continuous process optimization.