Concepts
Lean Thinking is a vital principle that has significantly influenced multiple industries and management practices, including the Certified Scrum Professional – ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) framework. To fully comprehend its impact, it’s critical to understand its origins and development over the years.
Origins of Lean Thinking
The genesis of Lean thinking can predominantly be traced back to the Japanese automotive manufacturer, Toyota. More specifically, it is credited to the Toyota Production System (TPS), a system that aimed to heighten efficiency and reduce waste in the production process, which was developed during the 1930s to 1970s. The terms ‘lean’ and ‘lean thinking’ were coined much later in the 1990s, although the principles were already being applied.
The key architects of TPS and subsequently lean thinking, were Taiichi Ohno and Eiji Toyoda. Ohno, fondly referred to as the father of Lean thinking, was instrumental in developing the process and creating core Lean concepts such as “Just-In-Time” production and “Jidoka” or built-in quality. These concepts were revolutionary. For instance, “Just-In-Time” production allowed Toyota to efficiently manage their resources by only producing what was needed, when it was needed, and in the quantity required. This optimized approach significantly reduced waste and improved productivity.
On the other hand, “Jidoka,” which translates as ‘automation with a human touch,’ emphasized on quality control and allowed for immediate action when a problem was detected. This became the foundation for the principle of ‘stopping the line,’ which promotes problem solving to prevent the recurrence of defects.
Application of Lean Thinking
Despite deeply rooted in manufacturing, Lean thinking expands much beyond this industry. The applicability of Lean in other domains was broadly acknowledged when Womack and Jones detailed its principles in their groundbreaking book, Lean Thinking, in 1996. They described the core principles of Lean to be:
- Define Value: Understand what the customer truly values and is willing to pay for.
- Map the Value Stream: Identify every step in the process and eliminate waste.
- Create Flow: Ensure smooth operations without interruption or delays.
- Establish Pull: Only begin new work when there is a demand for it.
- Seek Perfection: Continually striving for perfection through constant feedback and improvement.
For visualization, consider the following table which summarizes the five Lean principles:
| Lean Principles | Description |
|---|---|
| Define Value | Understand what the customer values. |
| Map the Value Stream | Identify every step in the process and eliminate waste. |
| Create Flow | Ensure smooth operations without interruption or delays. |
| Establish Pull | Only begin new work when there is demand for it. |
| Seek Perfection | Continually strive for perfection through constant feedback and improvement. |
In a nutshell, Lean thinking is about maximizing customer value while minimizing waste. It’s about creating more value for customers with fewer resources. In the context of Scrum, Lean principles are deeply ingrained in the iterative approach, continuous delivery of value, and prioritizing backlog based on customer value. Therefore, as a ScrumMaster, understanding Lean thinking is not just beneficial, it’s integral to implementing the Scrum framework effectively and efficiently.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: Lean Thinking originated in the United States.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Lean thinking was developed largely in Japan, particularly in Toyota.
The Lean Thinking concept was developed in:
- a) Ford Automotive Industry
- b) General Electric
- c) Toyota Production System
- d) IBM
Answer: c) Toyota Production System
Explanation: Lean thinking primarily evolved from the Toyota Production System in Japan.
Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo are associated with:
- a) Matrix organization principle
- b) Waterfall model
- c) Lean Thinking and the Toyota Production System
- d) Agile software development
Answer: c) Lean Thinking and the Toyota Production System
Explanation: Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo are two of the principal architects of the Toyota Production System, which gave rise to lean thinking.
True or False: Lean Thinking is about doing more with less.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: One of the core principles of Lean Thinking is to minimize waste and make the most out of limited resources, hence doing more with less.
The concept of ‘Just In Time’ originated from:
- a) Lean Thinking
- b) Agile methodology
- c) Scrum framework
- d) Six Sigma
Answer: a) Lean Thinking
Explanation: ‘Just In Time’ is a principle of Lean Thinking developed in the Toyota Production System that seeks to reduce times within the production system as well as response times from suppliers.
Which of the following are principles of Lean Thinking? (multiple select)
- a) Identify Value
- b) Map the Value Stream
- c) Eliminate waste
- d) ‘Velocity’ team principle
Answer: a) Identify Value, b) Map the Value Stream, c) Eliminate waste
Explanation: Identify Value, Map the Value Stream, and Eliminate waste are three of the five founding principles of Lean Thinking.
True or False: Lean Thinking rejects the idea of continuously improving processes.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Continuous improvement is a vital part of Lean Thinking, known as “kaizen”.
Which of these is NOT a type of waste identified in Lean Thinking?
- a) Overproduction
- b) Waiting
- c) Inventory
- d) Overstaffing
Answer: d) Overstaffing
Explanation: Overstaffing is not a type of waste identified in Lean Thinking. The wastes typically identified are overproduction, waiting, transport, overprocessing, motion, inventory, and defects.
True or False: Lean Thinking is only applicable to the Manufacturing industry.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While Lean Thinking originated in the Manufacturing industry, its principles have been adapted and applied to many industries, including software development and services.
Who coined the term ‘Lean’?
- a) Henry Ford
- b) Taiichi Ohno
- c) James Womack and Daniel Jones
- d) Jeff Sutherland
Answer: c) James Womack and Daniel Jones
Explanation: James Womack and Daniel Jones, in their book “The Machine That Changed the World”, coined the term ‘Lean’ to describe the efficiencies of the Toyota Production System compared to traditional mass production.
Scrum is a part of Lean Thinking.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: While Scrum and Lean share many philosophies (like eliminating wasteful activities), Scrum is not part of Lean. It is an Agile methodology, which is a broader concept.
What is the key goal of Lean Thinking?
- a) Cost reduction
- b) Maximizing customer value while minimizing waste
- c) Increasing the number of features in a product
- d) Fast-tracking all processes
Answer: b) Maximizing customer value while minimizing waste
Explanation: The core idea of Lean Thinking is to maximize customer value while minimizing waste, i.e., to create more value for customers with fewer resources.
Great post! I always wondered about the origins of Lean Thinking and its relationship to Scrum.
Lean Thinking originated from the Toyota Production System (TPS), right?
I’m studying for CSP-SM, and this really helped to understand how Scrum incorporates Lean principles.
Can anyone explain how Lean Thinking integrates into Scrum practices?
Thanks for the informative post!
Great write-up. Lean focuses on reducing Muda. Is that equivalent to Scrum’s Sprint Review process?
Very insightful article. Appreciate the depth!
Isn’t Lean Thinking a bit outdated compared to modern Agile practices?