Applying Principles Of Lean In Academic Environments

Abstract

“Lean is a philosophy that shortens the time line between the customer order and the shipment by eliminating waste.” Lean is principally associated with manufacturing industries but can be equally applicable to both service and administration processes. Business professionals from all over the world have been studying lean principles for many years and have enjoyed tremendous bottom-line improvements by adhering to them. From the production line worker to the board of directors, everyone in an organization can benefit. Generally associated with manufacturing environments, lean is much more than a manufacturing strategy. Although its roots lie in manufacturing operations, lean is a business philosophy that can be practiced in all disciplines of an organization. This philosophy offers powerful benefits to enterprise employees, upstream suppliers, and downstream customers. The need for external collaboration is absolutely vital to a lean enterprise because all activities must be viewed holistically for true success. Lean manufacturing is underpinned by 5 principles: Specifying what creates value from the customer’s perspective, identifying all the steps along the process chain, making those processes flow, making only what is pulled by the customer, striving for perfection by continually removing wastes.