Fun Manufacturing Fact Friday: while the principles of continuous improvement and the Toyota Production System date back to the Mid 1900s, the term “Lean” was born in 1987 and coined by John Krafcik, then a researcher at MIT working with James Womack. While these days Lean can cover a lot of meanings, Womack has clarified that any definition of lean should include: “It always begins with the customer. The customer wants value: the right good or service at the right time, place, and price with perfect quality to solve their problem. Value in any activity—goods, services, or some combination—is always the end result of a process (design, manufacture, and service for external customers, and business processes for internal customers). Every process consists of a series of steps that need to be taken properly in the proper sequence at the proper time.” [and my favorite part] “None of us has ever seen a perfect process nor will most of us ever see one. But lean thinkers still believe in perfection, the never-ending journey” From Gemba Walks by John Shook What does Lean mean to you? 🤔💡
To me, Lean is a mindset that drives a culture of excellence
Detaching from MY desired outcome so I can focus on the customer & the outcomes THEY care about. Easier said than done in a sales role 😂 but I've found it helps so that I can actually have meaningful conversations that aren't clouded by any urgency to close a deal.
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3wFor us, lean means empowering staff and eliminating waste. We see reaching perfection as an iterative process.