Dr: Ameera Abedalrahman
Abstract:
Background:
Lean production first came to life in Toyotas own production system, and it now serves factories and service firms as a steady method for stripping away waste-Muda-without knocking productivity out of gear. In todays cutthroat world market, Lean ideas give managers a sturdy roadmap toward day-in-day-out excellence. This paper reviews Lean theory, outlines its main principles and handy tools, then weighs the gains, hurdles, and must-have conditions that shape a successful rollout.
Methods:
This study surveys both classic and recent writings-on Toyota Production System bedrock works, scholarly papers, and post-2012 case studies-to capture how Lean thinking has grown. It then breaks down Lean’s key ideas, traces its journey through time, outlines the guiding principles, lists the main tools, and highlights the people and structures that help or hinder firms putting it into practice.
Results:
The study shows that at its heart Lean is simply the steady quest to cut away waste. It singles out the eight main kinds of waste-transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, over-processing, defects, and unused talent-as the areas to attack first. Lean’s core ideas-spotting value, mapping the stream, ensuring flow, pulling work, and chasing perfection (Kaizen)-form the bedrock of the approach. Practical tools such as Just-In-Time (JIT), Kanban boards, 5S, Poka-Yoke, and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) are presented as the everyday levers that turn theory into results. Finally, the research stresses that lasting gains depend on true support from the top and a culture ready to change.
Conclusion:
The research shows that successful use of Lean creates substantial gains for operational excellence, quality, cost and customer satisfaction. This study provides some insight into Lean as a comprehensive management approach for building a continuous improvement culture;. Implementation is difficult yet the potential rewards of a Lean transformation are huge and provide organizations with a wide competitive edge.