Lean Focused Product Development- Learn More

By Author: Ame Org
Total Articles: 9
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Problematic product development processes are often the targets of Lean-centric initiatives, as the production system itself is often the most obvious starting point for an organization that is looking to confront areas of concern and improve overall efficiency. Lean philosophy itself has become such an attractive, popular option for a variety of industries chiefly because it consistently demonstrates success, has a proven track record and meshes well with the given goals and environments of many different organizations. The principles, tools, strategies and systems that incorporate a Lean production system are variable. That is to say, they can exist in many different configurations, and each has the capability to be further refined to suit any number of given goals. This variability is a deeply appealing factor for most organizations that decide a Lean-centric improvement system is right for them.

Much of this versatility stems from the long history of strategies and philosophies that Lean incorporates. While Lean thinking itself first gained prominence in the 90s, the influencing strategies it was based on have a storied ...
... history that stretches well back to the 40s. First developed in the automotive industry in Japan, these early systems were refined over an extensive period of time by innovators and experts alike. One of the strengths of Lean is that it is a system of tools that are not only interchangeable, but also adaptable. Those early strategies often faltered due to a variety of reasons, whether because they were only stopgap measures or fundamentally flawed, they were often in part discarded or heavily modified, in turn creating hybrid systems after a few decades of wear and tear. The aspects of these strategies that did succeed though, would often be incorporated into new stratagems that were primed to dominate industry thinking for the next decade. Lean’s adaptability comes from its focus on continuous improvement-its running drive to compel participants to never be satisfied with inadequate change. In recognizing the failures of those early thinkers, Lean pioneers identified that their inflexibility in the face of much needed change often led to their downfall.

Continuous improvement remains a key tenant of Lean thinking to this day for that reason. In realistically appraising any given situation’s problem areas, it has been realized that there are never any full-proof measures or tools that can be implemented to solve an issue forever. Shortsightedness being an obvious but often misperceived fault in many failing industries, it remains a target for waste elimination in most Lean overhauls. Most experienced Lean-thinkers will admit that even the measures they administer won’t forever refine themselves. In order to be continuously successful, implemented Lean manufacturing strategies must be open to change, and any admissions that indeed there are, or could be, failures, no matter the what the intentions, must always be taken with serious consideration. Only in an environment that is conducive to being open to the need for change, and only in being honest about an organization’s faults can a successful Lean manufacturing line be achieved.

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