LEAN STARTS WITH RULES NOT TOOLS

THE FOUR RULES

1. Structure every activity

•         Lean Is A System Not An Event

•         Standardize everything that is done

•         Make it a way of life not a “flavor of the month”

2.Clearly connect each customer and supplier

•         Every connection must be standardized & direct, clearly specifying the people involved, the form & quantity of the goods & services to be provided, the way requests are made by each customer & the expected time in which the request will be met

•         No gray zones in deciding who provides what to whom & when

3.Specify and simplify every flow

•         Product, Material & Information should flow along a simple, specified path

•         Do not flow to the next available person or machine but to a specific person or machine

4.Improve through experimentation at the lowest level possible towards the ideal state

•     For people to consistently make effective changes, they must know how to change & who is responsible for making the changes

•         See every problem as an opportunity to focus and move toward the ideal state

•         Decision making at the point of activity