Lean Principles

Online training with Excel templates to consistently apply the principles of lean

Toyota's 14 Principles of Lean

1. Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy

   even at the expense of short-term financial goals

2. Create a continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface

   See training for the lean principles of lean flow

3. Use "pull" systems to avoid overproduction

   See training and tools for pull systems

4. Level out the workload (work like the tortoise, not the hare)

   See training and tools for the lean principles of heijunka level loading

5. Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time

   See training and tools for the lean principles of jidoka problem swarming

6. Standardized tasks and processes are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment

   See training and tools for the lean principles of standard work

7. Use visual control so no problems are hidden

   See training and tools for visual controls

8. Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and process

   See Systems2win templates for process improvement

9. Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others

   See training and tools for Lean Leadership

10. Develop exceptional people and teams

    who follow your company's philosophy

11. Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers

    by challenging them and helping them improve

12. Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation

    See training and tools for Process Observation

13. Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions rapidly

    See training and tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making

14. Become a learning organization through relentless reflection and continuous improvement

    See training and tools for Hansei reflection

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Those are Toyota's classic 14 Principles of Lean (above)

Here are some more...

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invent

Lean Principles

Lean Objectives foundational to your Vision and Values for lean continuous improvement

Every Lean Implementation is an Invention

There is no such thing as 'cookie cutter' lean

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b-wise

Yes, Lean Principle # 1 is "Every Lean Implementation is an Invention"

but that doesn't mean that you want to start from a state of ignorance.

Start with field-proven Lean Systems

and then... make them your own

These Lean Principles are Common to any Lean Systems

As you continuously improve your own lean systems for your own unique organization and culture, make sure that your inventions always stay true to these 'True North' lean principles.

• Standard Work

• Lean Culture

  Lean culture is the sum of individuals' habits. Especially lean leadership habits.

  Lean Management Systems are systematic ways to shape those habits.

• Focus on both: Process and Results

• Visual Management

  If it's hidden, it can't be improved. One important lean principle is to use diverse tools and methods for Visual Management to make it as visible and obvious as possible — What is normal? Is there anything happening (real-time) that is abnormal?

• Hansei

Managers don't just dictatorially command their people to "think better".

They provide tools, systems, and one-on-one coaching for Hansei Lean Thinking. (Systems for how to think better)

• Quality Problems are Swarmed

  When anyone identifies a quality problem, work is stopped, (so that no more defects are produced), and a team of people from many parts of the organization swarm to quickly identify and eliminate the root causes, and then to institute countermeasures to ensure that that never happens again.

• Every Coach Needs a Coach

Perhaps it might be worthwhile to evaluate whether Systems2win training and coaching services might prove useful for the highest-level coaches in your organization?

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ideals

Lean Principles

Lean Ideals provide 'True North' direction

Lean Ideals are a vision...

If your organization has a written Vision Statement, it will undoubtedly include most of the following lean objectives and ideals that are common to every lean organization.

And if your organization does not yet have a Vision Statement, then you might save some time and just get started with these...

• Zero defects
  • Deliver exactly what is needed
  • Defect-free
• Zero waste
  • Produce without any of the 7 Deadly Types of Waste
  • 100% value add
• Zero safety accidents
  • For workers, customers, and the surrounding environment
• Instant delivery
  • Deliver on demand: exactly when requested
  • Produce with the shortest practical cycle time and lead time
  • Ideal = unlimited capacity
• Batch size 1
  • Produce exactly the quantity requested, in the smallest batch size possible, ideally one at a time
• Zero response time
  • Immediately respond to problems, changes, and challenges, applying lean principles and scientific methods for root cause analysis and problem solving

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targets

Manage to a Strategic Challenge

A Strategic Challenge is the link between PDCA and your Strategic Plan

Lean Principles and Ideals are too vague and distant to serve as useful guides for daily kaizen and PDCA Coaching Cycles.

Even your Strategic Plan or Annual Hoshin is too high-level to serve as a useful guide for daily process improvements.

A shorter-horizon 'Strategic Challenge' (established by your mid-level manager) provides a clear direction for what is needed from your team to support the other teams that will depend on you when you all reach the next resting place on your never-ending lean journey toward your never-changing lean principles.

Criteria for a Strategic Challenge

Your mid-level manager needs to come up with a Strategic Challenge for your Value Stream and/or Department that meets the following criteria.

1. A compelling description of a desirable state

A process breakthrough that will bring competitive advantage

Condensed to a compelling short rallying cry to focus the team's attention and effort.

Examples:

Wouldn't it be great if we could...	Rally Cry
make any item the same day that it's ordered, and ship the next day	Ship tomorrow
get the results of any lab test back within 2 hours	Know today
completely eliminate safety accidents	No accidents

2. Far enough away to be a stretch

It can't be done with existing processes in their current conditions

3. Believable

Close enough to be within reach
(believably achievable within 3 to 30 months)

4. Clearly defined outcomes

Clearly defined measures and targets for process results that must (somehow) be achieved

The leader for each area of responsibility works with his or her coach
(at the next higher level)

to determine the capabilities needed from each value stream, value stream loop, department, process, and supporting function — in order to support the stretch goals of the next higher level

thereby uniting every effort at every level of the organization to pull together to support the highest level strategic plan.

5. Many options to reach those outcomes

How to choose your next Strategic Challenge

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Reading

Suggested Reading and Resources for

the Principles of Lean

Remember, whenever you don't immediately find what you're looking for,

you can browse the Systems2win Site Map

or use Google Site Search (in the upper right corner of every web page)

The Shingo Model

The Shingo Principles of Operational Excellence provide a comprehensive and well-thought-out summary of lean principles.

Source: Shingo Institute

You can download the Shingo Model Handbook and Poster at shingo.org/model

After you download your (free) handbook, you will want to set aside about an hour to read and thoroughly digest their:

• Well-written explanations of each Lean Principle
• Examples of Ideal Principle-Based Behaviors
• Excellent explanation of the relationships between Lean Principles, Lean Systems, and Lean Tools

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More Lean Principles

A frequently cited reference for Lean Principles is Jeffrey Liker's book, The Toyota Way.

When you search for 'Lean Principles' within The Lean Enterprise Institute, (lean.org), you will find their 5 Steps of Lean as well as an interesting article about early sources of lean principles (pre-dating Toyota).

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Lean Manufacturing Principles

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rules

The Toyota 4 Rules In Use

In their paper Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System, Harvard Business Review, 1999, Steven Spear and H. Kent Bowen boiled down the essence of all lean systems to these Lean 4 Rules In Use:

Rule 1) Clearly specify all Activities

Standardize work

• Content (what is being done?)
• Sequence (in what order?)
• Timing (how long should it take?)
• Outcome (what clearly defined measurable results are expected?)

Rule 2) Clearly define all Connections
to every customer and supplier

No ambiguity

• Direct (no intermediary between)
• Yes or No answers (no maybe)

Rule 3) Clearly define all Pathways

Organize for uninterrupted flow

• Simple (with as few steps and people as possible)
• Direct steps to deliver the requested product or service
• Clearly defined Standard Work and Work Instructions

Rule 4) Continuously Improve

Develop leaders who can apply the scientific method to improve anything

• Direct response to any problem that arises
• By those doing the work — as close to the problem as possible
• Whenever possible, start as an experiment
• Supported by a coach

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Learn even more about the Principles of Lean