Summarize the main lean principles described in the article or case study you read Of the four lean principles of operations management, which one do you feel will provide the greatest impact to the company you just read about? Support your answer

As an Operations Manager, which ONE of Deming’s fourteen points do you feel would have the most value or impact in regards to the lean principles article you selected? Explain your answer.

Lean operating systems have four basic principles:

1. Elimination of waste,

2. Increased speed and response.

3. Improved quality, and

4. Reduced cost.

As simple as these may seem, organizations require disciplined thinking and application of good operations management tools and approaches to achieve them.

Eliminate Waste Lean, by the very nature of the term, implies doing only what is necessary to get the job done. Any activity, material, or operation that does not add value in an organization is considered waste. The goal is zero waste in all value-creation and support processes in the entire value chain. Exhibit 17.1 shows a variety of specific examples. The Toyota Motor Company classified waste into seven major categories:

1. Overproduction: for example, making a batch of 100 when there are orders for only 50 in order to avoid an expensive setup, or making a batch of 52 instead of 50 in case there arc rejects. Overproduction ties up production facilities, and the resulting excess in-ventory simply sits idle.

2. Waiting time: for instance, allowing queues to build up between operations, resulting in longer lead times and more work-in-process.

3. Transportation: the time and effort spent in moving products around the factory as a result of poor layout.

4. Processing: the traditional notion of waste, as exem-plified by scrap that often results from poor product or process design.

5. Inventory: waste associated with the expense of idle stock and extra storage and handling requirements needed to maintain it.

6. Motion: as a result of inefficient workplace design and location of tools and materials.

7. Production defects: the result of not performing work correctly the first time.