The Structure of Lean

How do all the aspects of Lean interrelate

It’s been over 30 years since the World’s most successful business model, was revealed to the World by Taiichi Ohno in his book the Toyota Production System.

The Toyota house shows the overall structure of TPS but does not give guidance as to where and how all the tools fit together. There is also little in the literature or on professional networks to describe a comprehensive model.

So now we have two models, which help us understand how all the different elements of Lean link together. The triangle demonstrates that the three aspects of Lean – Philosophical, Culture and Technical (tools), are all linked, like a three legged stool, very stable if used properly but will fall over if any of the legs are missing or weak. Focusing only on the technical tools of Lean is the reason why many Lean deployments fail. A company must develop all three aspects in order to have a chance of success.

A long term plan must be in place before embarking on a Lean deployment programme, as it is likely to take many years to achieve. This is typically 3 years to establish the basics of management behaviour, team work, continuous improvement mindset and daily disciplines. A further 5 to 10 years may be required to Lean processes so that they flow (see later).

Once there is a long term plan in place, then the basic thinking/ philosophical, cultural and technical tools required to develop a Lean company can start developing.

The House of Lean, shows how the various aspects fit together. This should not be treated as a rigid structure. A true champion will know all the moves but also be able to put them together in novel and effective ways that a novice could not.

The base of the House of Lean focuses on the basics of consistency, standardisation and disciplines. These are required as a firm foundation for Lean implementation.

To start a Lean journey follow the model provided by Womack and Jones in their book Lean Thinking:

1. Precisely specify customer value by specific product/service;

2. Identify the value stream for each product/service;

3. Make value flow without interruptions;

4. Let the customer pull value from the producer;

5. Pursue perfection.

This will lead through the various aspects of the tools and you will discover how they interact. For example, to achieve flow, you must remove the barriers to flow, such as long set-up times, equipment break downs and poor quality. To achieve this you will need team work and problem solving skills and to achieve these you will need the right culture and philosophical values.

What is the prize for implementing Lean in your business? Typically companies can achieve improvements of; 40% productivity, 50% space saving, 70% reduction in inventory, 80% reduction in product development time, 90% reduction in leadtime and a stronger more motivated workforce that keeps the pace of improvement accelerating indefinitely.

About the Author:

David Cowburn is the author of this article on Six Sigma Training. Find more information about Six Sigma Consulting here.