Management Theories

Lean Manufacturing

Also Known As Toyota Production System

Citation Formats

General Reference

Business Atlas. "Lean Manufacturing." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-business.interactiveatlas.org/management-theories/lean-manufacturing.

APA Style

Business Atlas. (n.d.). Lean Manufacturing. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-business.interactiveatlas.org/management-theories/lean-manufacturing

BibTeX

@misc{businessatlas-lean-manufacturing,
  author = {Business Atlas},
  title = {Lean Manufacturing},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://dev-business.interactiveatlas.org/management-theories/lean-manufacturing},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Lean manufacturing is a management system built on the principle of producing only what is needed, when it is needed, correcting abnormalities as soon as they occur, and empowering workers to improve their own processes. It grew out of Toyota's postwar manufacturing redesign led by Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo, building on the teachings of W. Edwards Deming, and became known in the West as the Toyota Production System. The term Lean itself was coined later, in 1988, by the American researcher John Krafcik.

Facts

Core Claim

Manufacturing should eliminate waste by producing only what is needed, when it is needed, while continuously correcting problems and empowering workers to improve the process themselves. 1

Origin Year

1988 1

1988 is when the term Lean was coined; the underlying manufacturing system it names was developed at Toyota beginning after the Second World War.

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Six Sigma

The two frameworks are commonly combined into Lean Six Sigma.

Source Wikipedia, Six Sigma

Toyota

Source Wikipedia, Toyota Production System

Toyota Production System

Source Wikipedia, Toyota Production System

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Lean Manufacturing

WikipediaHistory section

Quote, History section

Toyota's Shigeo Shingo and Taiichi Ohno, building on Deming's teachings, redesigned Toyota's manufacturing process after the war

View the Source

1. Wikipedia, Lean Manufacturing

WikipediaLead section

Quote, Lead section

Lean manufacturing is a management system built on three principles: produce only what is needed, when it is needed; correct abnormalities as soon as they occur; and empower workers to improve the process themselves.

View the Source

Wikipedia, Six Sigma

WikipediaAssociated With: Six Sigma, Alternate names section

Quote, Associated With: Six Sigma, Alternate names section