| Lean process is a management philosophy directed | | | | be addressed separately, in reality most opportunities |
| towards finding means of eliminating waste in order to | | | | for improvement will be found in underlying processes. |
| improve not only the overall value of an end product or | | | | For example, waste due to over-production won't |
| service, but to improve as well the processes | | | | necessarily be reduced by producing less, unless the |
| responsible for creating that product or service. Lean | | | | underlying processes are well understood and under |
| process originated in Japan,initially in the manufacturing | | | | control in the first place. One can chart the production |
| arena, where it is still practiced. But the concept can be | | | | figures from month to month, but the opportunities to |
| applied to engineering, administration, or other functions | | | | fix the problem and reduce the waste will be found by |
| as well. | | | | mapping, measuring, and managing the processes |
| The lean process philosophy is predicated on the | | | | involved, and not from the production figures. |
| assumption that incremental quality improvement can | | | | The lean process itself can be described in a flow |
| be achieved by eliminating what is called the "seven | | | | diagram, starting with Visualizing the change that is |
| wastes". The wastes occur in these areas: | | | | needed, Committing to implement the change, |
| - Inventory | | | | Prioritizing activities needed to make the change as |
| - Waiting Time | | | | well as the changes themselves, Improve the process, |
| - Motion | | | | and finally, Achieve the desired result. |
| - Transportation | | | | One state which has implemented lean process |
| - Over-production | | | | improvement in several areas, managed to cut the |
| - Defective Products (Scrap) | | | | time for processing reimbursements from 3 months to |
| - Processes ( where most opportunities arise) | | | | 1 month, process National Guard bonus payments in 14 |
| It is complicated because in reality not all waste can | | | | days instead of 30 days, and decrease surplus vehicle |
| usually be eliminated, especially in those processes | | | | parking needs by 75%, with reportedly more things to |
| extending across organizational boundaries. The lean | | | | come. The first two are classic examples of reducing |
| process for continuous improvement seems on the | | | | waste with the goal of reducing waiting time, in itself a |
| surface to be better suited for application in the | | | | waste. Lean process improvement isn't all that |
| manufacturing arena, specifically the factory floor, but | | | | different from the other major process improvement |
| can be applied at least in part to most business | | | | methods, except the focus here is on reducing waste, |
| processes or business management systems. | | | | in whatever form it appears. |
| Although the seven wastes are fairly specific and can | | | | |