A philosophy of production that attempts to achieve high customer (internal or external) service, eliminating waste through continuous improvement, simplifying all manufacturing and support processes, and focusing on exactly what the customer wants. It involves identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities in design, production, supply chain management, and dealing with the customer.
Synonymous: Lean Thinking; Lean Manufacturing; Lean Production
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Source: (Chase et al., 2013; Heizer et al., 2017; APICS Dictionary)