Lean Method: An Introductory Guide for Beginners

Numerous methodologies used in project management (nimble, kanban, etc.) today were created yesterday for the industrial world, and more particularly the automotive industry. This is the case of the Lean method, which focuses on waste-free management. Overproduction, unnecessary movements or trips, the accumulation of stocks or even manufacturing defects are all elements that affect the productivity and efficiency of a company. The Lean method helps you eliminate these sources of waste to be more efficient while improving working conditions.

Optimizing processes is the key to productivity. Unfortunately, many organizations are faced with sources of waste that negatively impact their performance and profitability. Ignoring this waste can lead to significant financial losses, reduced quality, missed delivery times, and team demotivation.

We therefore advise you to exploit the potential of the Lean method, which offers a powerful framework for identifying and eliminating waste. Here are 8 sources of waste identified by the Lean method and concrete solutions to eliminate them. This method can be implemented in all departments of a company so that it becomes more efficient and productive at all levels.

Definition of the Lean method

The Lean method consists in seeking performance through continuous improvement and the elimination of waste, all in order to create value to satisfy the customer.

The term “Lean” means “lean” in English, which reflects the objective of this method well: to “degrease” processes by removing anything that does not provide value to the customer.

Today, the Lean methodology (or Lean management) is no longer applied only to industry, but to all types of companies, all sectors combined, which allows them to remain competitive in an increasingly competitive market.

Origin of the Lean method

Created in the 1970s, the Lean method was born in Japan, in the factories of the automotive company Toyota. The Japanese company is constantly growing, innovating and standing out from its competitors. We then observe its methodologies to understand the reasons for its success. The result is the book The Machine That Changed the World published in 1991 and written by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones and Daniel Roos, which will make the term Lean Management known throughout the world.

How does it work?

To eliminate waste and increase company productivity, what better way than to ask directly the people concerned, i.e. the employees who work daily on the various processes in place?

The Lean method differs from Taylorism by taking into account the well-being of employees and by mobilizing all company personnel to involve them in the fight against waste. Thus, everyone is working to eliminate all unprofitable activities in the company in order to be more productive and efficient while improving working conditions.

The 8 sources of waste to eliminate with the Lean approach

To eliminate waste and increase company productivity, what better way than to ask directly the people concerned, i.e. the employees who work daily on the various processes in place.

The Lean method differs from Taylorism by taking into account the well-being of employees and by mobilizing all company personnel to involve them in the fight against waste. Thus, everyone is working to eliminate all unprofitable activities in the company in order to be more productive and efficient while improving working conditions.

In Lean management, there are seven or even eight sources of waste that must be eliminated:

1. Overproduction :You produce more than the customer needs, which leads to excess inventory. We advise you to produce only what is ordered and to adjust production through a precise analysis of demand.
2. Excessive stocks :If production processes are not optimized, your business may produce in excess to avoid running out. The solution is to minimize inventory by receiving products or raw materials just in time with a just-in-time approach. The FIFO (First In, First Out) system, which consists of using the oldest stocks first, is also very relevant.
3. Manufacturing defects :Products that do not meet the requirements require retouching or may end up in waste. Set up quality control points at each stage of the process and use anti-error devices to prevent defects.
4. Wait times :Any unproductive time where human or material resources are inactive has a negative impact on efficiency. Optimize production flows by improving work organization and deploy preventive maintenance tools to reduce breakdowns and production stoppages.
5. Useless transport:The movement of materials, products or people without added value is to be avoided. Arrange the workspace and bring workstations closer together, optimize production circuits to minimize distances traveled, and use efficient transport technologies such as automatic trolleys.
6. Superfluous treatments :Your main objective is to create added value, anything that does not create added value is useless. Eliminate all unnecessary steps by streamlining processes. Then, standardize tasks and define clear and effective procedures to increase efficiency.
7. Useless movements:In order to avoid wasting time, eliminate unnecessary employee movements during production. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to adapt workstations to operators, to organize the tools so that they are at hand and to make teams aware of effective gestures and postures.
8. Underuse of skills :Not making full use of the skills and experience of your employees is harmful to the business. This waste is also a source of demotivation for your employees. Enrich tasks, give employees more responsibilities, encourage teamwork, and continuously develop their skills.

The Lean methodology is based on the fundamental principle of continuous improvement. So, by continuously identifying and eliminating process wastes, you'll reduce costs, increase productivity, improve quality, and increase your margin. Your business will adapt more easily to changes in the market and thus develop further.

There are several tools to help you implement the Lean method:

• The 5S method: five Japanese action verbs that summarize the essential actions to be carried out to improve your work environment.
• Just-in-Time : this method of organizing and managing production consists in improving productivity by reducing stocks and related costs.
• Kanban : this label-based inventory management method works with the Just-in-Time method.
• Kaizen : the objective of this process is the continuous improvement of a company with the participation of all employees.
• The SMED : an organizational method that consists in reducing the time required to change tools.

What are the tools used in the Lean method?

There are several tools to help you implement the Lean method.

The 5S method is the basis for organization and visual cleanliness in a Lean environment. These five terms summarize the essential operations to be carried out to improve your work environment: Seiri (sort), Seiton (tidy), Seiso (clean), Seiketsu (standardize) and Shitsuke (perpetuate)

Another essential tool is Just-in-Time (JAT). This method of organizing and managing production consists in improving productivity by reducing inventories and related costs.

Kanban is a visual flow management system (cards, labels, tables) that allows you to quickly and simply visualize the progress of work and trigger the necessary actions at the right time. It limits outstandings and promotes the fluidity of production.

The Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement involves all actors in the company. This approach is based on the constant search for small improvements to optimize processes and eliminate waste.

Finally, SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) is a method that aims to reduce serial loading times on production machines. This makes it possible to increase the flexibility and responsiveness of production.

What training or certifications are required to master Lean?

Lean certifications are called Lean Six Sigma and Lean Management. They are represented by different colors to indicate progress in understanding the method, from beginner to expert.

To get started with the Lean method, the best is to start with Yellow Belt Lean training, as it provides the fundamental knowledge to participate in continuous improvement projects and eliminate waste.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, there is Black Belt Lean training, which trains Lean experts who can manage complex projects or train others if necessary.

Task management and Lean method to maximize your efficiency

Lean is a continuous improvement approach that aims to eliminate waste and optimize processes for maximum efficiency. One of the pillars of Lean is effective task management. That's where Wimi comes in, with its powerful and intuitive task management functionality, perfectly adapted to Lean principles.

The all-in-one Wimi platform indeed integrates complete task management functionalities. Kanban boards and Gantt charts allow you to visualize tasks and workflows, while the centralization of information and task automation enabled by Wimi are ideal for eliminating waste.

You can even apply the principles of Kaizen continuous improvement by tracking work time and performance as well as by exploiting collaborative tools to encourage employee feedback.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Lean approach

The Lean method has several advantages. First, consulting and involving employees is a great way to motivate them. This method also has a positive impact on the well-being of employees as it contributes to improving working conditions by changing existing processes. Finally, since Lean management makes it possible to increase productivity by reducing waste and therefore costs, it is no longer necessary to relocate abroad to be profitable.

For the disadvantages, the Lean method consists in producing more and more, more quickly and with less. It would therefore be no different from Taylorism (or chain work). The Lean methodology would further divide the work, which would increase the pace of work and contribute to the devaluation of the know-how and skills of employees. Finally, lean management would also increase the risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), stress and fatigue. In short, we would be very far from the promised virtuous circle.

It is up to you to implement Lean management while ensuring the well-being of your employees.