FAQ
Q. How is Lean Dynamics Different?
A. Many of today’s business tools and techniques seek to correct specific problems or “wastes” like incomplete information, bloated inventories, or extra processing steps. Organizations that are “going lean” particularly face this hazard; once individuals have been trained to uncover hidden “wastes”, they’ll naturally try to get as much out as possible. But succeeding at this requires first understanding their dynamic conditions—the changing conditions that drove these wastes to accumulate, and will likely cause them to return.
Rather than chasing visible problems, lean dynamics is a set of principles and techniques that address the underlying disconnects across operations, decision-making, information, and creating innovation—the root causes for this waste. By putting in place an underlying structure for doing so, companies and government agencies can eliminate many of their cost drivers while creating the means for pursuing new, dynamic strategies for creating value.
Q. Who uses Lean Dynamics?
A. Many of today’s most recognized business leaders have achieved sustainable excellence that can be shown to be attributable to the principles and practices of lean dynamics. A growing number of small businesses are applying these principles as well.
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Q. What is the basis for lean dynamics?
A. The concept was first introduced by researcher and author, Stephen A. Ruffa, in the book: Going Lean: How the Best Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits (AMACOM 2008). It describes a set of common principles and practices applied by firms like Toyota, Southwest Airlines, and others, with an academic basis derived from the works of such business thinkers as W. Edwards Deming, Peter Drucker, Genichi Taguchi, Peter Senge, Michael Hammer, Jack Welch, and Alfred Sloan.
Q. Our company has already invested in major business improvements. Can we still apply lean dynamics?
A. Yes! A key benefit of lean dynamics is that it does not replace a company’s business improvement; instead, it offers the overarching framework for more successfully implementing these within the realities of today’s challenging business circumstances.
Using lean dynamics tools (like lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, ERP, and information technology) together can support an overarching strategy for creating sustained excellence—enabling firms to transform turmoil into opportunities for advancing their competitive edge.