Moving-on — beyond lean thinking
2004
Download PDFDOI: https://doi.org/10.60164/78i8a0h6d
Author: Lauri Koskela
Citation:
Koskela, L. (n.d.). Moving on beyond lean thinking. Lean Construction Journal 2004 pp 24-37.
Abstract:
Lean Thinking is currently often positioned as the underlying theory of lean production
among practitioners and academics, although its originators, Womack and Jones, seem not
to have presented it as a theory. This paper endeavours to analyze whether Lean Thinking
can be viewed as a theory of lean production.
For this purpose, a critical assessment of Lean Thinking is carried out. Lean Thinking is
argued to lack an adequate conceptualization of production, which has led to imprecise
concepts, such as the term “value”. The five principles of Lean Thinking do not
systematically cover value generation, and they do not always encapsulate the core topics
in their respective areas. The failure to trace the origin of lean concepts and principles
reduces the opportunity to justify and explain them.
Despite claims for generality, the application area of the five lean principles is limited to
the transformation of mass production, with, for instance, one-of-a-kind production and
construction being largely out of scope. It is concluded that it is opportune to move on
beyond Lean Thinking, towards a generic theory of production, for acquiring a solid
foundation for designing, operating and improving production systems.