“Lean: The methodology that combines Epictetus’ art of the essential and Seneca’s art of living simply”
“Do more with less” is at the heart of the Lean philosophy. This methodology, developed in the 1950s by Toyota, aims to maximize efficiency by eliminating waste and constantly improving processes. By adopting a Lean approach, companies can truly “do more with less” by eliminating waste, they can reduce costs while improving the quality and speed of their products or services. This not only increases profitability but also better satisfies customers by offering them higher quality products or services at more competitive prices.
Lean is based on a vision of overall efficiency, which is to eliminate all types of waste to achieve optimal yield. The 7 types of waste identified by the founders of this methodology are: defects, over-inventory, movements, waiting, over-production, excess transport and unnecessary movements. By eliminating them, companies can improve the quality of their products or services, increase the speed of their production and become more responsive to the needs of their customers. This allows them to differentiate themselves from their competitors and adapt to market changes.
The Lean approach is very similar to the thinking of certain philosophers such as Epictetus and his concept of “the art of the essential”, or Seneca and his vision of “the art of living simply” which consists of focusing on the essential and eliminating everything that is superfluous. Lean is based on this idea of simplicity and efficiency, by focusing on the essential and eliminating everything that is unnecessary.
However, it is important to note that Lean is not limited to cost reduction. It is also a reflection on how companies can work more efficiently and ethically. By adopting a Lean approach, companies can reduce waste in terms of resources, time and energy, thus contributing to environmental sustainability.
In summary, Lean is a methodology that allows companies to maximize efficiency by eliminating waste and constantly improving processes. This allows them to reduce costs while improving the quality and speed of their products or services, thus contributing to environmental sustainability. Lean is based on a vision of overall efficiency, by focusing on the essential and eliminating everything that is unnecessary, this allows companies to adapt to market changes and better satisfy customers. It is similar to the thinking of certain philosophers such as Epictetus and Seneca who advocate the art of the essential and the art of living simply. By adopting this approach, companies can achieve a perfect balance between economic efficiency and ethical responsibility.
