Lean vocabulary: the dictionary for your organization's performance

Master the meaning of lean terms and concepts. Get clear definitions that turn the language of management into practical results in your day-to-day work.

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A

1 term

A3

A practice pioneered by Toyota in which the problem, the analysis, the corrective actions and the action plan are written on a single sheet of paper (A3 size), usually with graphs and figures. At Toyota, A3 reports evolved into a standard method for problem solving, status reporting and planning exercises such as value stream mapping. A3 is the international term for a sheet of paper 297 millimeters

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J

1 term

Jishuken

A particular type of hands-on workshop in which people "learn by doing." The term literally means "self-study" in Japanese. See : Kaizen Workshop, Toyota Production System.

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K

1 term

Kaizen Workshop

A group kaizen activity, commonly lasting five days, in which a team identifies and implements significant improvements in a process.

See: Gemba, Jishuken, Kaizen, PDCA.

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L

1 term

LAMDA Cycle

The basic learning cycle of lean product and process development, comprising five classes of development activity: look, ask, model, discuss, and act.

See : Lean Product and Process Development.

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P

1 term

Plan for Every Person

A program for training and developing employees that shows the skills required and the skills already developed.

See: Multi-Process Handling.

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S

1 term

Sensei

Japanese for teacher. Used by lean thinkers to denote a master of lean knowledge, the result of years of experience in transforming the gemba (the place where the work is done). A sensei must also be a teacher who inspires his or her students and whose teachings are easy to understand. Compare with : Change Agent.

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U

1 term

Usable Knowledge

The value created by lean product development processes. Because almost all defective designs result from not having the right knowledge in the right place at the right time, lean companies generally spend proportionally more development time creating and capturing knowledge, and less creating hardware.

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Frequently asked questions about the Lean Glossary

It is a glossary of terms and concepts used in lean management. It helps you understand lean terminology by aligning definitions and examples for study, reading and day-to-day application.

Use the search box to look for a specific term, browse by letter or filter by theme. Click the item to see a summary and open the full definition.

Some terms may have translations in other languages. When a translation is not available, the site may show the Portuguese version as a reference.

Yes. New terms may be added and definitions may be revised to keep the content clear, consistent and evolving over time.

Ao longo do Vocabulário, você encontrará links para conceitos relacionados e conteúdos do Lean Institute Brasil, como artigos, materiais da Central do Conhecimento, livros e capacitações.

A academia lean do Lean Institute Brasil oferece trilhas de capacitação EaD e presenciais, incluindo o Programa Prático de Formação Lean (PPFL), que ensina a utilizar frameworks consolidados e a aplicá-los resolvendo problemas de negócio reais.