A Lean Glossary, Part Two

One of the difficult aspects of learning about Lean is that many of its terms are unfamiliar or in Japanese. As a pre-assignment, you were asked to define a few of these words. Let’s see how you did.

 

Term Definition
Kaizen Constant, gradual improvement to a process in order to create less waste but more value.
Lead Time How long a customer must wait for the product after they place an order.
Muda An activity that creates no value but consumes resources and is therefore considered waste. There are seven types of muda which will be covered later on in this course.
Mura Inconsistency and deviation.
Muri Irrationality.
Pokayoke A mistake-proofing device such as quality testing or checklists.
Pull A production philosophy where only what is ordered by customers is produced. Key element of Just-In-Time.
Push A production philosophy where products are created regardless of demand.
Takt Time The rate at which customers are demanding a product. This is the heartbeat of any Lean enterprise.
Value Desired characteristics provided to the customer at the right time, place, and cost.
Value Stream The process of designing, producing, and delivering a product.

 

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Session 3: The Toyota Production System