Lean management is an approach to managing an organization that supports the concept of continuous improvement, a long-term approach to work that systematically seeks to achieve small, incremental changes in processes in order to improve efficiency and quality. The primary purpose of lean management is to produce value for the customer through the optimization of resources and create a steady workflow based on real customer demands. It seeks to eliminate any waste of time, effort or money by identifying each step in a business process and then revising or cutting out steps that do not create value. The philosophy has its roots in manufacturing.
Lean management focuses on:
- Defining value from the standpoint of the end customer.
- Eliminating all waste in the business processes.
- Continuously improving all work processes, purposes and people.