Waste identification and measurement as a first step towards Lean Management

Abstract

Lean Management (LM), a modern approach to business, has been gaining importance since the beginning of the 21st century. Lean Manufacturing used by the Japanese automakers continuously seeks to improve business processes by reducing amounts of waste in the long term. Many LM implementations have been spectacular successes, contributing to companies’ increased profitability, reduced inventories and manufacturing times, as well as fewer inhouse operations. This article deals with a step-by-step implementation of Lean Management in a Poland-based manufacturer owned by a transnational concern. The waste identification and measurement method presented in the article can be used by practically any traditionally managed firm. Gradual elimination of waste (muda) brings a firm’s conventional model of management closer to the Lean Management concept, promising measurable benefits even if the firm is not ready to take further steps into Lean Management.