What are the main lean tools?
Each tool answers a different question, so choose by the problem.
| Question | Lean tool | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the waste? | Value stream mapping | Shows where work waits between request and delivery |
| Where is the waste? | Eight wastes | A checklist for spotting waiting, rework and motion |
| Is the workplace in order? | 5S | Keeps everything sorted, labelled and in place |
| Is work done the same way? | Standard work | Records the best-known method |
| How should work flow? | Kanban | Signals what to make or move next |
| How do we stop mistakes? | Poka-yoke | Makes errors hard to make |
| Why did it go wrong? | 5 whys | Traces a problem to its root cause |
| How do we improve? | PDCA | A repeatable cycle for testing changes |
How do you choose which lean tool to use?
- Make the work visible. A value stream map or simple board shows where time is lost.
- Stabilise it. 5S and standard work remove daily variation.
- Improve flow. Kanban and takt time cut waiting and stock.
- Prevent defects. Poka-yoke and jidoka build quality into the step.
- Solve what remains. Use a fishbone or A3 report.
- Sustain it. Review results at a daily meeting so gains hold.
Are lean tools the same as lean principles?
No. The five lean principles are the thinking; tools are the techniques that put it to work. Tools without the principles tend to give tidy workplaces that do not change results.
Example
A packing line kept missing its daily target. Mapping the process showed packers waiting for labels at the start of each run. The team set up a labelling station using 5S, wrote the changeover as standard work and put the missed-target count on a board reviewed each shift. The label wait stopped appearing as a cause.