Lean Manufacturing: History and Principles

Questions and Answers

Focus on reducing waste

Continuous improvement

Emphasis on mass production (correct)

Customer-centric approach

Employee empowerment

Minimizing waste

Customer satisfaction

Mass production and standardization (correct)

Fordism was primarily focused on the needs of the worker, while Sloanism was focused on the needs of the customer.

Fordism focused on mass production, while Sloanism focused on customization. (correct)

Fordism was based on assembly lines, while Sloanism was based on flexible production.

Fordism emphasized efficiency, while Sloanism emphasized quality.

Employee training Signup and view all the answers

Optimizing the flow of value from customer need to delivery Signup and view all the answers

Focusing on maximizing efficiency by eliminating waste in all aspects of production. Signup and view all the answers

Focus on producing a single product variation for a mass market. Signup and view all the answers

Employee Training Signup and view all the answers

Focusing on optimizing the entire production process from raw materials to final delivery. Signup and view all the answers

Reduced lead times and quicker response to customer needs. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Lean manufacturing is a production philosophy that aims to minimize waste and maximize value-added activities to create a more efficient and effective production system.

Lean manufacturing originated in the 1950s at Toyota Motor Corporation, led by Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo, as a response to the limitations of mass production systems.
The Toyota Production System (TPS) was developed, focusing on the elimination of waste, continuous improvement, and respect for people.

Fordism, pioneered by Henry Ford, emphasized standardization, specialization, and efficiency in production, but led to inflexibility and quality issues.
Sloanism, developed by Alfred P. Sloan Jr. at General Motors, focused on the efficiency of mass production systems, but neglected waste reduction and flexibility.

Value stream management is a key concept in lean manufacturing, aiming to optimize the flow of materials and information across the entire value stream, from raw materials to end customers.
It involves identifying and eliminating waste, improving flow, and enhancing customer value.