Lean Technologies and Expected Results
Lean Foundation
Strategic Planning
Ongoing organizational process to define a bold future vision, identify goals, and create a roadmap with actionable steps, resources, and timelines.
Clearly defined KPIs, goals, and a Lean strategies implementation plan.
Benchmarking
Comparing internal processes and performance metrics against industry leaders or best practices to identify gaps and develop action plans to close them.
Plans enabling effective transformation of processes to achieve higher performance levels.
World-Class
Company Diagnosis
Diagnostic model evaluating 61 key work subsystems against world-class standards to identify gaps and guide improvements in strategy, structure, and culture for building a Lean company.
Clarity on current situation; visualization of optimal state for each work system; logical, orderly medium- and long-term transformation plan.
Hoshin Kanri
(Strategy Deployment)
Technique for strategy deployment that converts top management's guidelines into detailed actions across all levels, with clear responsibilities, indicators, and follow-up to align continuous improvement with goals and enhance adaptability.
Alignment of all personnel efforts to achieve strategic objectives and KPI goals.
Management
by Processes
Organizing and optimizing business activities around end-to-end processes rather than silos to improve flow, efficiency, and customer satisfaction (external and/or internal).
Dramatic reduction in process response times and greater customer satisfaction.
Change Management
Structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations to a desired future state, minimizing change resistance.
Effective involvement of all implementers in actions to reach the desired state.
Lean Execution
Value Stream
Management (VSM)
Lean methodology to identify waste, develop improvement initiatives, and create future-state plans, optimizing resources via focus on continuous flow, demand, and production leveling in manufacturing or administrative settings.
Structured plan applying Lean tools for transition from current to desired future state in the following 4–6 months, reducing lead times across any process by at least 50%.
Process Mapping
Detailed visualization of workflows to identify waste (inefficiencies, redundancies, non-value-added activities).
Rapid elimination of obvious waste through every employee participation.
Cell Design
Structured methodology to optimize work areas by eliminating any kind of waste, with a focus on achieving one-piece flow.
Significant reduction in cycle times, inventories, and defects; dramatic productivity improvements (minimum 35%; average 60%) measured in terms of units per person per hour, achieved in ≤1 week.
Kanban
(Pull System)
A Just-in-Time system to optimize inventories for raw materials, work-in-process, and finished products using equations to determine optimum lot sizes and run frequencies, implement production leveling, and boards to reduce waste and ensure delivery compliance.
100% OTIF (On-time and In-full) deliveries across value chain; typical 60–80% inventory reductions (raw materials, work-in-process, finished products).
SMED
(Single-Minute
Exchange of Die)
Methodology to reduce setup and changeover times through documentation and improvement steps, increasing flexibility, lowering inventories, and improving quality.
≥50% reductions in machine changeover, adjustment, and setup times, achieved in ≤3 days; repeatable for ongoing gains.
Poka Yoke
(Mistake-Proofing)
System to eliminate human errors via simple devices preventing defects at source, reducing waste, and achieving zero defects through error-condition identification and step-by-step methodology.
100% elimination of targeted defect in 3–4 days.
Integrated Process
Control
Methodology combining statistical control, participative management, and fault detection via 6 steps to create variable maps, define effective standards to control them and monitor their compliance both in production and administrative areas.
Detailed one-sheet standard procedures controlling key process variables and ensuring results.
TPM
(Total Productive Maintenance)
Philosophy involving all personnel to maximize machinery performance through pillars like maintenance management, autonomous maintenance, and focused improvement; requires long-term commitment.
≥85% installed capacity utilization in manufacturing; ≥95% in process industries (from typical 30–40% and 60–70% respectively).
SuperVision
(Leadership Skills Development)
Leadership development program shifting leaders from boss to coach, building high-performance teams via teamwork, coaching, and continuous improvement skills for better safety, quality, delivery, costs, and motivation.
Supervisors (from top management to line) applying world-class leadership practices to engage and motivate staff in improvement actions.
High-Performance
Teams
Building natural and cross-functional teams focused on collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Organization-wide team-working ability through processes enhancing staff effectiveness.
Lean Office
Applying Lean principles to administrative and office processes to eliminate waste.
~75% reductions in process times; operation with ≤50% personnel; potential complete elimination of some processes.
Lean Logistics
Optimizing supply chain and material handling for an optimum balance between transport and storage, ensuring just-in-time delivery with minimal waste and cost.
Description
15–50%+ cost reductions in warehousing and transportation; gains in efficiency, flexibility, and customer satisfaction.
Support Tools
Kaizen
(Continuous Improvement)
Philosophy involving all personnel in improving quality, costs, and time through actions, events, or projects; requires clear roles and structures for systematic enhancements.
Improvement tool results in Kaizen Events achieved in 2–5 days.
Standardized Work
Methodology creating, maintaining, and improving standards to eliminate waste, achieve balanced production, and support continuous improvement.
Stability and repeatability in process results using optimal quality-time-cost methods; permanent elimination of problems.
5S
Foundational methodology for organization, order, and cleaning to build discipline, standardize procedures, and enable visual management as first Lean step.
Culture of discipline for developing, complying with, and improving standard procedures across all work.
Visual Management
System using visual controls for instant information, abnormality detection, problem prevention, and correct processes to enable effective problem-solving.
Expected Results
Workplaces equipped with information and means to prevent problems.
A3 + Problem Solving
Toyota-developed philosophy and methodology for root-cause problem-solving using A3 reports for definitive solutions and executive feedback in growing organizations.
Culture involving all employees in continuous, definitive problem-solving; effective senior management-team contact.