Lean Principles Implementation in the Engineering Area

Lean principles, methodology and mindset have already shown their value and success in manufacturing departments of numerous global leading companies. Driven by achieved benefits in manufacturing scope, many of them have decided to take the next logical step and introduce ideas of Lean into other areas of work, including product development and engineering. Based on examples and experiences from one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, thesis deals with core differences between characteristics of manufacturing and engineering processes which subsequently require adaptation of original Lean principles in order to fit them into engineering scope. Additionally, the original seven types of waste have been recognized and described in engineering processes and several tools and methods have been suggested and used to eliminate detected waste and improve processes