What are pillars or principals of lean management ?

Lean is a management philosophy - a way of thinking. It considers first and foremost what the customer is willing to pay for or in other words - added value. Activities that do not add value to the end product or customer are defined as waste and should be reduced or eliminated to free up resources to be used for adding value.

Allow demand to pull goods or services - only do what is required when requested by the end customer or the next step in a process. Value is pulled through a process rather than being created in batches or as capacity constraints allow. This minimizes overproduction, stocks and ultimately working capital.

Enable value to flow - the addition of value needs to be uninterrupted through the processes across the value stream. Focusing on the ideal, the addition of value of one single piece at a time enables us to optimally align process steps across the business while eliminating wasteful activities.

Work in a rhythm according to the pace of customer demand - takt is the German term for timing. This pace is how fast you need to manufacture a product or offer a service in order to fill your customer orders. It provides the heartbeat of a Lean system that allows us to balance work content and achieve a continuous flow through the business. It also allows us to adjust the rhythm and respond flexibly to changes in the marketplace.

Stop and fix when something goes wrong - defects are easily identifiable at or very close to the point at which they arise. By addressing the root cause of the defect immediately and neither accepting nor passing on defects, subsequent defects and problems are avoided and overall product or service quality is improved.