Kaizen is a technique, invented in Japan, that means "continuous improvement" or "small changes for improvement."

Lean Thinking or Lean Manufacturing is a strategy oriented to create "value" for the customer. Any activity that technically does not add value to the customer (e.g. coffee breaks) is considered "muda" or waste. The purpose of Lean Thinking or Lean Manufacturing is to avoid all kinds of "muda" or waste.

It is like when you go to the supermarket and you order "Give me a lean meat" or "Give me a lean T-bone". You mean the pure meat without the fat. It is the same principle. Lean Thinking or Lean Manufacturing focuses on generating value for the customer and avoid the "muda" or waste (i.e. avoid the fat)

Lean Thinking is based on what is known as "pull technique". Thepullsystem starts by forecasting demand and then planning accordingly to avoid having any excess of inventory or muda. So, the first step is to analyze the market, forecast (predict) how many units will be demanded and then everything is "pulled" back to every workstation to plan accordingly and produce exactly that number of units.......not a single unit more to avoid "muda" or waste. As opposed to the pull system, the "push" strategy is what factories used to to in the past (many retailing companies such as WalMart or Target still do, that is why you always see their shelves full of merchandise. But when is all those products going to be sold? Who knows!!!) In the "push" strategy, companies manufacture as much as they possibly can. Then every workstation "pushes" as much inventory as possible to the next workstation (for example the Painting Department of Automobiles will paint as many cars as they can and then "push" those cars to the Drying Department, where they will also try to dry as many cars as they can and then "push" all that inventory to the next workstation). Ultimately, all units will be "pushed" to the customer.

What is the operation that is still missing at the end of the video?

Name the7kinds of waste. Give real-life examples of at least 3 of the7kinds of waste. How did the company "solved" each one of those 3 wastes?