The tools and methods, management principles and implementation process included in lean production are a very large set of methodologies. Books such as (lean thinking) (machines that change the world) (Toyota model) describe this set of methodologies in more detail. This book does not expand these contents, but only dabbles in the basic concepts of lean production for some products.

Lean production (Lean Production) is the product of the market constraints of "resources" and "many varieties and few batches" encountered by the Japanese automobile industry after World War II. Through the changes in system structure, personnel organization, operation mode and market supply and demand, the production system can quickly adapt to the changing needs of users, and all useless and superfluous things in the production process can be streamlined, A production management approach that ultimately achieves the results of all aspects of production, including market supply and marketing. Different from the traditional large-scale production mode, its characteristics are "multi-variety" and "small batch".

At the beginning of the 20th century, since Ford Motor Company of the United States founded a car production line, large-scale production lines have been the main feature of modern industrial production. Mass production is based on standardization and mass production to reduce production costs and improve production efficiency. This method adapted to the national conditions of the United States at that time. The emergence of the rolling water line of automobile production changed the automobile from a few rich people's products into a popular means of transportation. As a result, the American automobile industry has rapidly grown into a pillar industry of the United States, and has driven and promoted the development of a large number of industries, including steel, glass, rubber, electromechanical and even traffic service industry. Large-scale flow production is of great significance in the history of production technology and production management. However, after the Second World War, society entered a new stage of diversified development of market demand. Correspondingly, industrial production was required to develop in the direction of multiple varieties and small batches. The weaknesses of single-variety and large-scale production methods became increasingly obvious. In order to comply with the requirements of the times, the lean production of Japan's Fengquan Automobile Company has been explored and created in practice as a high-quality and low-consumption production method under the conditions of multi-variety and batch mixed production.

In 1950, Japan's Hideji Toyoda inspected the Ford sedan factory in Detroit, USA. At that time, the factory could produce 9000 cars a month, more than Toyota's annual output. In his investigation report, the gang wrote: "there is still the possibility of improvement in the production system there". Japan's post-World War II economic depression, lack of capital and foreign exchange 9 days at that time there was no possibility of the introduction of American complete sets of equipment to produce cars, and Japan's total production at that time was only a few tenth of the United States. The law of "economies of scale" is facing a test here. In the past, Tian Yingji and his partner, Naiichi Ono, conducted a series of explorations and experiments, and put forward a solution to the problem according to Japan's national conditions. After more than 30 years of hard work, a complete Toyota production method was finally formed, making Japan's automobile industry surpass that of the United States. Toyota's production method is an important part of Japan's industrial competition strategy, which reflects Japan's management thinking in the repetitive production process. The guiding ideology of Toyota's production mode is: through the overall optimization of the production process, improving technology, straightening out logistics, eliminating excessive production, eliminating ineffective labor and waste, effective use of resources, reducing costs, improving quality, and achieving output with less input. purpose.

The basic idea of lean production can be summarized in one sentence, namely: Just In Time(JIT), which translates into Chinese as "aiming to produce the required products when needed and in the required quantity". Therefore, some management experts also call lean production methods JIT production methods, just-in-time production methods, just-in-time production methods or kanban production methods. The basic tools of the lean production approach include the following.

(1)5S and visual control

"5S" is the abbreviation of the five words (SEIRI), rectification (SEIToN), cleaning (SEISo), cleaning "SEIKEETSU") and literacy (SHITSUKE). 5S is the process and method of creating and maintaining organized, clean and tidy work sites. It can educate, inspire and develop good "human nature" habits. Visual management can identify normal and abnormal states in an instant, and transmit information quickly and correctly.

(2) Timing Billion Production (JIT)

The just-in-time production method originated from Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. Its basic idea is that H only produces the required products when needed. The core of this mode of production is to pursue a production system without inventory, or a production system with small inventory.

(3) Kanban management (kan-ban)

"kan-ban" is a noun, which means a label or card hung on or attached to a container or a batch of parts, or a variety of colored signal lights, TV images, etc. on the assembly line. The exhibition board can be used as a means of communicating production management information in the factory. Kanban cards contain quite a lot of information and can be used over and over again. There are two kinds of commonly used kanban: production kanban and shipping kanban.

(4) Zero inventory management

Factory inventory management is a part of the supply chain, but also a basic part. As far as the manufacturing industry is concerned, strengthening inventory management can be short and gradually eliminate the retention of raw materials, die forging semi-finished products and forging finished products, reduce invalid operations and waiting time, prevent out of stock, and improve customer pairs. Quality, cost, delivery time. Three elements of satisfaction.