Lean thinking
Waste reduction & Continuous improvement
Lean thinking as a mindset for growth
Continuous improvement is not just a production philosophy: it’s a working method, a cultural approach, and a sustainable growth strategy focused on value creation. With Lean Thinking, every process becomes an opportunity to improve efficiency, develop skills, build relationships, and stimulate change. From mapping flows to enhancing soft skills, from work organization to digitalization paths, the Lean method provides practical tools for achieving enduring results.
Insights into the Lean approach
Lean Thinking originates from the Toyota Production System and has spread worldwide as a tool to bring excellence to production, service, and organizational processes. In today’s transitional context -marked by the introduction of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies- Lean proves essential to bring order before digitizing.
As highlighted in the report "Avoiding the Hidden Hazards of Industry 4.0" (Boston Consulting Group, 2018), investing in digital solutions without first eliminating waste risks digitizing inefficiency. In Lean, waste (muda) refers to all activities that consume time, resources, or energy, without generating value for the end customer.
Waste has multiple consequences:- for customers: delays in delivery, slow responses, errors, or non-conforming products;
- for the company: higher costs, reduced quality, process slowdowns, and loss of competitiveness;
- for personnel: disorganized workloads, operational stress, unclear roles, and eventually, high turnover.
Tools in action
We use practical tools such as 5S, Poka Yoke and Standard Work to structure daily activities, Visual Management and Shop Floor Management to enhance communication and operational control, and techniques like Value Stream Mapping, Just in Time and Pull systems to reduce waste and optimize flow. These are complemented by continuous improvement practices like Kaizen, 7 Muda, and One Point Lessons, as well as tools for maintenance and quality such as TPM, SMED and TQM.
Lean in action
A manufacturing company that had initiated a digital transformation project needed to improve efficiency and quality in operations, and to enhance collaboration across departments.
Before taking action, a Lean assessment was carried out in three phases:
- As Is: analysis of the current state, collecting quantitative data (quality indicators, efficiency, supplier service levels), along with gemba walks, checklists, and summary evaluations.
- To Be: definition of the target scenario and identification of organizational gaps.
- Tools: selection of the most appropriate Lean tools and design of a training program based on the One Point Lesson method.
🎥 Team in action – LEGO® Serious Play for Lean
A short clip showing workers engaged in a LEGO® Serious Game activity
to explore pull flow logic and process optimization in a collaborative setting.
