LEAN CONVERSION AND GENBA SHIKUMI

This paper outlines a lean transformation process for companies wishing to convert to lean manufacturing, with practical results based on experience. The execution of this approach is bottom-up and based primarily on improvement tools. This is compared and contrasted with the preferred top-down method taught by Shingijutsu, a Japanese consultancy which adopts more of a systems level approach to the lean transformation process. This is in the context of what is a common roadmap for lean transformation, which these two approaches exploit with different emphases.