Employing ‘lean thinking’, doing more with less, continues efforts to eliminate or reduce ‘muda’, Japanese for waste or any activity that consumes resources without adding value to design, manufacturing, distribution, or customer service processes. Toyota executive Taiichi Ohno (1912-90) developed this concept during post-Second World War reconstruction period in Japan. James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones popularized it in their 1996 book ‘Lean Thinking.’ Also known as lean manufacturing.
