Lean is the system of enhancing the performance of service and production by elimination of waste. This innovative idea was formulated by the Toyota Production System in the 1990s. The key to proper application of lean starts with knowing what is of value and what does not contribute for overall improvement. After this, you would be able to decrease what doesn’t matter and increase those which add value.
Knowledgeable and well-experienced lean consultants are sought for by companies who are seeking for improvement of their process and production by letting the consultants, study the company, create the appropriate lean solution and take it into action.
Here are several characteristics of lean consultants that, when found, mean that there is a very good chance that the consultant fits for the job:
1) The Basics
Good lean consultants must be well aware of the basics of lean and must know the most effective way of applying it to a company. What are the basic things that lean consultants must do?
a.) Specify value in the eyes of the customer
The consultant must be able to let the customer see what adds value to the product and what products add value to the customer and not the unnecessary waste.
b.) Identify the value stream and eliminate waste
The consultant must know what needs to be eliminated and what is valuable to the company and the customers.
c.) Make value flow at the pull of the customer
The consultant must be able to let what is valuable continue and be productive for the customer and the company.
d.) Involve and empower employees
The employees are the driving force of the company, it is important that they be involved and given concern in every company.
e.) Continuously improve in the pursuit of perfection
The removal of waste and focus on what’s beneficial is a form of reaching perfection and it must be done by any lean consultants.
2) Segregation of Waste
Since a lean consultant would deal with elimination of waste and reproduction of what’s beneficial, it is important that he or she knows the three types of waste:
a.) Mura
This is the work that can be defined as uneven; happening suddenly without a regular and continuous flow.
b.) Muri
This is unreasonable work performed by the machines and the employees.
c.) Muda
This is work that has no value to the product and the company but still takes resources.
These three wastes can be further divided into seven common wastes in every company that must be identified and eliminated by the lean consultants:Â
a.) Transportation
There may be an accident that may cause a defect to the products every time it  is transported and this is something the customer does not pay for and will not consider  as beneficial.
b.) Inventory
These are the things that are not produced yet by the company and are not purchased by the customers which any lean consultants would identify was waste.
c.) Motion
This happens when the product is being made or is being left in the inventory. It  is during the time that the product is still with the company. It can be an accident caused by a faulty machine or injured workers.
d.) Waiting
This is the case of goods not being manufactured, transported or worked on.Lean consultants know that it is just additional waste.
e.) Over-processing
This is doing more than what is required by the company and more that what is  expected by the customer.
f.) Over-Production
Producing more than what your customer needs to be produced at a given poing in time is a form of over-production.
g.) Defects
Defects increase the expenses, labor and working time of the company and thus are considered waste.
