Basic glossary of selected Lean terms

Term

Description

Usage

5S

Acronym for the process for organising a workplace. The

5 Ss were originally Japanese words; a common English
version is: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain.
Process of asking specific why questions repeatedly to
drill down to underlying causes (the questions arent just
why?, they need to be though through) .
The typically used 7 categories of waste are:
transportation; inventory; motion; waiting; overprocessing; over-production; defects.
Technique of organising output from idea generation, by
recording individual ideas on cards, then clustering
similar ones together under group headings.
The progressive movement along a value stream in a
continuous way, only being touched where adding value
or by business necessity, with no wasted time.
Japanese word used for the place where the real work is
done so going to the Gemba is getting out to where
the work is actually happening.
System for managing processes that balances inputs and
outputs so that there is little or no excess inventory
being held on hand.
Japanese word meaning change for the better; normally
applied to meetings where this change is being discussed
(a Kaizen event, or a RIE).
An approach to improving the delivery of value to
customers, through clarifying value-adding versus
wasteful actions; and removing the waste.
Use of methods to prevent or detect mistakes, or to
minimise subsequent problems.

Creating a Lean work

area

5 Whys

7 Wastes

Affinity Diagram

Flow

Gemba

Just-in-Time (JIT)

Kaizen

Lean

Mistake Proofing

Muda

Japanese word for wasteful activity; normally used as a

summary word for Lean wastes.

PDSA

Acronym for Plan-Do-Study-Act; variants Plan-Do-CheckAct, or Plan-Pilot-Study-Standardise. Process of

developing, testing then rolling out something new.
Concept that action or supply should only occur when
the recipient (customer or next step) calls for it so the
reverse of push or planned activity.
Specific meeting, normally over several days, to
determine improvement. Also described as a Kaizen
event.
The originating cause of an event or condition, that lead
through 1 or more steps of causality to the immediate
cause (eg, overwork tiredness accident).

Pull

RapidImprovementEvent (RIE)
Root cause

Review of Value Streams

and Mistake Proofing
Principle of Lean; used to
guide identification of
waste.
Problem solving, brain
storming
Principle of Lean; used to
optimise progression
through a process
Jargon

Principle of Lean; used to

minimise wasted
inventory
Jargon

Principle of Lean

Principle of Lean; used to

minimise mistakes and
their impact
Jargon

Quality control for

implementation of new
activities
Principle of Lean; used to
help achieve flow
Identification of
improvement
possibilities
Mistake Proofing

Term

Description

Usage

Six Sigma

An approach for reducing defects to less than 3.4 in a

million (outside of 6 standard deviations); a group of
techniques often used along with Lean.
A drawing of a location with a tracing of the actual
physical route taken by an activity, object or person
through it.
A phrase for an agreed set of work procedures for a
routine task, with the procedures refined to be the most
efficient and effective process.
The interval required between successive outputs from a
process at the rate required to meet customer demand.
A Takt time of 30 sec is a requirement of 120 per hour.
The aspects of the service or product that the customer
is willing to pay for.

Analysing and reducing

variation

Spaghetti
Diagram
Standard work

Takt time

Value

Value Stream

Visual
Management
Waste

All the activities and steps that occur from the initiation
to the final delivery of a product or a process; can be
applied to an overall business or a specific sub-process.
The presentation of work information (instructions,
process limits, workloads, etc), in an obvious & visual
way, when and where that information is needed.
Any activity that isnt either value-adding or is otherwise
a business necessity.

Identification of wasted
movement
Principle of Lean; used to
implement & sustain
process excellence
Identification of the rate
of a process to meet the
demands of a customer
Principle or Lean; used to
separate value-adding
versus wasteful activities
Principle or Lean; used to
understand what goes
into delivery of value
Improvement through
making understanding of
the required work simple
Principle of Lean.