What are the tools and techniques employed in the Lean approach?

There are many tools and techniques that have proved to be valuable to businesses in applying the Lean Approach. These include:

• Value stream mapping, a visual tool that helps to identify and map the flow of activities required to create and deliver a product or service
• The 5S methodology for organising and cleaning up the workplace to improve efficiency and safety
• The Kanban system for managing work flow by using visual signals to control the flow of materials and information
• Kaizen - a Japanese term for continuous improvement - exploring a philosophy of making small, incremental changes to processes on a regular basis to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

These approaches and tools can be explored on Bywater’s range of Lean training courses.