ABSTRACT
The lean management system consists of more than its four principal elements. A root cause orientation to problem solving, a rapid response system, and a progressive approach to process improvement are among the elements that round out the system. This chapter covers each of these topics. (Chapter 10 covers people-related elements.)
Any manufacturing process will experience problems that interrupt or threaten production. That is as true of lean systems as of any other. A key distinction between lean and batch-and-queue systems lies in how they deal with these inevitable problems.
