Legends of Lean
This automobile manufacturer is credited with pioneering Lean manufacturing principles.
What is Toyota?
This is the most common process mapping tool used to document steps in a workflow visually.
What is a process map/flowchart?
This type of waste occurs when there is a delay due to a lack of materials, information, or equipment.
What is waiting?
This is the documented best way to perform a task consistently and efficiently.
What is standard work?
This Japanese term means continuous improvement and involves everyone in an organization.
What is Kaizen?
This term describes the concept of delivering maximum value to the customer while minimizing waste.
What is Lean?
This type of map shows the current flow of materials and information in a process, highlighting value-added and non-value-added steps.
What is a value stream map?
When more products or services are produced than needed or requested, this type of waste occurs.
What is overproduction?
This methodology focuses on creating a well-organized and efficient work environment through a series of steps.
What is 6S?
This visual signal alerts operators to abnormalities in a process or system.
What is Andon?
This system, developed by Toyota, focuses on visual signals to trigger production or inventory replenishment.
What is Kanban?
This mapping method captures interactions between people, processes, or departments and identifies handoffs.
What is a swimlane diagram?
This waste arises when goods or people are unnecessarily moved within a process.
What is transportation?
This Lean principle involves walking the floor to observe processes and identify improvement opportunities.
What is Gemba?
This Lean term emphasizes leveling production to avoid uneven workloads.
What is Heijunka?
This 1996 book introduced Lean thinking to the world and detailed the five principles of Lean.
What is Lean Thinking?
This Lean tool helps capture a person’s movement during a task, focusing on wasted motion or transportation.
What is a spaghetti diagram?
When a process has more items in stock than required to meet demand, it creates this type of waste.
What is excess inventory?
This system ensures problems are escalated from operators to managers in a tiered fashion for resolution.
What are tiered meetings/reporting?
This term describes mistake-proofing a process to eliminate defects.
What is Poka Yoke?
This prestigious award recognizes operational excellence and is named after a Lean pioneer.
What is the Shingo Prize?
This process map focuses on inputs, process steps, and outputs, often used to identify key performance measures.
What is a SIPOC diagram?
This waste is related to the underutilization of workers' skills and abilities.
What is unused talent?
This systematic approach integrates Lean principles, management systems, and improvement systems into an organization.
What is the Shingo Model?
This term refers to waste in processes, one of the three M’s in Lean.
What is Muda?