One of the main principles of Lean Manufacturing is a clear customer focus. Every process, every step and every decision in Lean Manufacturing is driven by the question: Does it deliver value to the customer?
The goal of Lean is to identify and eliminate waste, i.e. activities that the customer does not perceive as valuable and for which they would not be willing to pay. This includes eliminating overproduction, unnecessary motion, waiting, excess inventory, and other forms of waste that burden the production process and increase costs.
How does Lean increase customer value?
- More efficient processes Lean enables manufacturers to make better use of resources – from labor to materials – to reduce production costs. Lower costs mean the customer gets a better value product at the same or lower price.
- Higher quality A focus on continuous improvement and eliminating errors ensures that customers receive a product with higher reliability and quality that better matches their expectations.
- Faster delivery Lean processes are designed to minimize downtime and unnecessary steps, resulting in faster delivery of product to the customer.
- Meeting needs precisely Through methods like Voice of the Customer and value stream analysis, Lean helps to better understand what customers really need and focus production on what makes sense for them.
Lean Manufacturing is therefore not just about optimising processes, but about ensuring that the final product or service actually meets customer expectations.
The customer is the focus and their satisfaction is the measure of success for Lean Manufacturing.