• Agile & Scrum Basics

What is lean working and how do you apply it?

Lean working is, among other things, a method for optimizing processes. But it is much more than that. It is also a way of thinking, an improvement methodology to detect inefficiencies in a process. And this you can then tackle. It maps your process, allowing you to eliminate waste and improve and optimize the process.

Lean comes from the English language, where it can mean “lean. In fact, this is also what happens to your process. All the things that don’t add value you remove from the process. This is healthy because it gives you a lean process. This is how you create maximum value at minimum cost.

This article discusses the following topics:

• What is Lean working?
• Here’s how to apply lean working in five Lean principles
• What is Lean management?
• The difference between Scrum and Lean?

What is Lean working?

Lean working began at Toyota in Japan. Working there at the time was a workshop chief named Taiichi Ohno. He believed that only the business processes that customers wanted to pay for or wait for were useful processes. The rest of the activities were a waste, or wastage.

Lean working is a way of working where the entire team focuses on creating value for the customer in all processes. Gone is waste and inefficiency. Hello maximum added value. The customer is central: this is how you improve quality, shorten lead times and reduce costs. This in turn has a positive effect on customer satisfaction, engagement and ultimately profit.

Lean working is about:

• Understanding what is going on in the places where value is created;
• Improve processes by which products and/or services are delivered;
• Developing people through solution-oriented work and coaching;
• Develop leaders and an effective management system.

Here’s how to apply lean working in five Lean principles

The Lean method revolves around five principles. These principles provide direction for organizations in various industries:

• Defining value: you want to know what the customer wants and what he or she thinks of the delivery.
• Identifyvalue streams: you map the current process and add value.
• Createflow: all tasks within a process are aligned and flow together.
• From Push to Pull: So this represents a process that is demand-driven.
• Continuous improvement: perfection is an aspiration, not a milestone. That way, you always keep improving the processes.

What is Lean management?

The way Lean working is applied is called Lean management. A method, a way of thinking that aims to realize maximum value for the customer. And all this with as little ‘waste’ as possible in as ‘lean’ a process as possible.

Many organizations are choosing to work Lean. And you may be wondering if it can do something for you, too. Here’s why an organization starts with Lean management:

• Results are under pressure and competition is increasing;
• Financial space is shrinking;
• Turnover among team members is too high;
• Stress increases in the organization;
• There are too many mistakes and miscommunication.

The difference between Scrum and Lean?

So earlier we wrote an article about the difference between Agile and Lean. But now the focus is on the difference between Scrum and Lean.

Origin: An initial difference can be discovered in the origins of Scrum and Lean. Scrum originated in software development while Lean saw the light of day in the industrial sector.

Application: Lean is often used to improve processes and the organizational environment. Scrum is used to get teams to work very smartly together in creating something new or solving something complex. The output of scrum is value-driven. Highest possible value is central. And therefore, for a moment, it may come at the expense of efficiency.

Process: Lean is all about efficient processes to eliminate waste and bring a great end product. In Scrum, a partial product is developed per sprint. Therefore, the prototype is tested and evaluated in between.