Hi, and thanks for your question. Lean thinking originated from an era of manufacturing, and was first associated with car plants, such as Toyota and Ford. In recent years, there has been a shift towards service industries, and Lean has been adapted to suit this.
There’s a wide range of tools in the Lean toolbag, and these focus increasingly on people, engagement, collaboration, skills and leadership. We still look at processes, data, facts and evidence to identify waste and streamline the flow of work. We strive to remove variation through visual management, regular performance discussions and training. And we improve performance through Go Sees, light touch reviews, challenge and support conversations.
In summary, it’s important that Lean objectives remain consistent, but ‘how we get there’, and which tools we use will vary considerably from manufacturing sector.
