Brand or bland? [lean manufacturing]

This paper examines the relationship between lean principles and brand value and relates this to why the Japanese brand has been having difficulty penetrating the premium market where European brands reign supreme. While lean principles encourage reliable, good all-around cars, they can also undermine character, especially in the premium segments of the market. However, this is not to say that lean has no place in premium segments as evidenced by the lean initiatives at Porsche. What is important is to adopt lean strategies that do not compromise product design and identity.