Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation
by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones · 1996
In a nutshell
By James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones (1996, Free Press, revised 2003), this book translates Toyota's production principles into a general five-step method — value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection — applicable to any business trying to cut waste.
Overview
James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones, researchers who helped coin the term 'lean', published Lean Thinking in 1996 (Free Press), with a revised edition in 2003, generalizing Toyota's methods for any industry.
Key Ideas
- Define 'value' strictly from the customer's point of view.
- Map the full value stream to find and remove non-value-adding steps.
- Create continuous flow instead of batch-and-queue processing.
- Let customer demand 'pull' production rather than pushing based on forecasts.
- Pursue perfection as an ongoing, never-finished process.
Best For
Operations and product teams applying lean principles outside of manufacturing, including services and startups.
Reference
Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation — publisher / official page. Summary adapted from the Awesome Startup Books collection.
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