Lean Manufacturing

A systematic production-management approach that identifies and eliminates activities that do not add value to a customer-defined product flow, and that reorganizes processes, information and people so that material and information move smoothly, quality is built in, and responsiveness to demand improves.

A systematic approach to identifying and eliminating non–value‑adding activities (waste) and to optimizing material and information flow in production by focusing on value from the customer’s perspective, continuous improvement and respect for people.