An introduction to Lean including a brief history, the philosophy of Lean, and a summary of some common Lean tools and concepts.

1. Section & Lesson #:
Pre-Requisite Lessons:
Complex Tools + Clear Teaching = Powerful Results
Introduction to Lean
Lean – Lesson 1
An introduction to Lean including a brief history, the philosophy of Lean,
and a summary of some common Lean tools and concepts.
Intro #02 – Introduction to Lean and Six Sigma
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photographic, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.

2. o The principles of Lean are themselves a “continuous improvement” throughout history:
o Though its principles were used for many decades, the term “Lean”
wasn’t coined until 1988.
• It was first used in a MIT student’s masters thesis which influenced the
production of the book The Machine That Changed The World (by Jim
Womack, Daniel Jones, and Daniel Roos).
o It quickly grew as a business management philosophy that complemented Six Sigma.
A Brief History of Lean
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.
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The modern concepts of Lean
can be traced back to Benjamin
Franklin’s writings about waste,
efficiency, and cost savings.
Henry Ford credited Ben Franklin as a major influence
in his business practices. Ford is usually credited for
early adoption of lean principles and proving their
value in the manufacturing assembly line.
The Toyota Production System (TPS)
extended the concepts of Lean by
drawing more attention to the flow
or smoothness of work.

3. The Philosophy of Lean
o Lean isn’t a methodology, it’s a philosophy.
• It’s not like Six Sigma, which is a formal methodology that uses tools to resolve problems.
• Lean is an informal philosophy or mindset that uses tools to resolve problems.
• What’s the difference?
o Lean primarily focuses on improving a process.
• What is the purpose of Lean?
 Improve efficiency/flow in a process.
• How do we improve the process efficiency/flow?
 Use tools to identify & eliminate waste.
• Does this mean Lean won’t improve the output?
 No, the output is dependent on the process, so
improving the process may also improve the output.
 When improving efficiency, the focus is on decreasing
time/effort while maintaining the same or better quality/accuracy.
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.
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Start
Finish
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3Step 4
Step 5
Process
We did it!
Great job! Now, what
else can we improve?
Six Sigma is generally treated as having a definite end
where a measureable goal is reached and sustained.
Lean is usually open-ended where each person in a process
finds opportunities contributing to continuous improvement.
Input
Process
(Lean)
Output
(Six Sigma)

4. Summary of Lean Concepts & Tools
o If there’s no formal Lean methodology, then how do you find & make improvements?
• There are many tools & concepts that Lean employs to help improve a process.
• Below is a list of the most common ones that we’ll review in this training:
• A broad application of these tools & concepts can be described as:
 First, the process is continuously evaluated for flow or waste-reduction opportunities using the concepts.
 Next, the above tools/metrics help measure and implement improvements to that process.
 A Lean workout can help synthesize these tools & concepts into a practical application.
o Lean tools & concepts work best in a manufacturing environment.
• Non-manufacturing environments still have processes and can still benefit from Lean.
• Since manufacturing has tangible products moving along a visible production or assembly line, it’s
easier to find opportunities for eliminating waste and improving the process flow.
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.
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Lean Tools/Metrics
•Spaghetti Diagram
•FTY & RTY
•Work-in-Process (WIP)
•Process Mapping (As Is vs. To Be)
•Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
•Takt Time
Lean Concepts
•Value-Added vs. Non-Value-Added
•One Piece Flow vs. Batch Processing
•Kanban or JIT (Pull vs. Push design)
•5S Program
•7 Deadly Wastes
•Poka-yoke

5. Practical Application
o Have you already heard of or used some of these Lean tools and concepts?
• If so, which ones have you had exposure to?
• What are some positive results or outcomes from that experience?
• What are some negative results or outcomes from that experience?
• What could have been done differently (if anything) to have mitigated those negative results?
o Identify at least 3 different processes that you actively control or participate in.
• What opportunities for improvement are there in these processes?
 If you think there are none, then do you believe those processes are “perfect”? If not, then there must be
some improvement opportunity, even if it’s small. If so, what are some examples?
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.
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