By definition, “lean” refers to thin or sparse. In business, this word may have a
negative connotation. The idea of “trimming the fat” or streamlining usually evokes
the elimination of jobs. Employees therefore do not favor such techniques. At Toyota
Motor Company, however, employees embrace “lean” as a work philosophy. This work ethic
has developed through trial and error and evolved into the successful business practice
known as the Toyota Production System (TPS). Lean methods, which include Six Sigma,
strive to eliminate waste from a system. How this aim is accomplished varies among
different methods, but one of the ultimate goals is a system that generates zero defects
or errors.
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References
- The Toyota Way: 14 management principles from the world's greatest manufacturer.McGraw-Hill, New York2004
- Toyota production system: beyond large-scale production.Productivity Press, Portland (OR)1988
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Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative Web site. Available at: www.prhi.org. Accessed March 2004.
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Article info
Footnotes
This work was supported by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
