ABSTRACT
New ideas are a response to concrete problems.To understand lean production we need to understand the mass production system that it is supplanting.1 Let us take a brief historical tour.2,3,4
If you wanted to buy a car in 1900, for example, you would have visited one of the craft producers in your area. The shop owner, usually an entrepreneur who did a range of manufacturing and repair work, would take your specifications. Several months later you would get your car. You would road test it, accompanied by a mechanic, who would modify it to your liking. The car would be one of a kind, and the cost would be high. But you would have the satisfaction of dealing directly with the manufacturer and his team.
