Waste in Lean Product Development

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to make the work that has been done at LAI in the area of waste in product development easily accessible to the consortium members. The focus of the discussion in this paper is therefore on past LAI work. Non-LAI work is integrated into the presentation where it is necessary to complete the picture. The intended readership is engineers and managers in the areas of product development, product design, systems engineering and program management. The paper is also intended to provide a first overview to students and others interested in the field. Reading this whitepaper provides a concise overview of the most important waste drivers in product development, that is, the most common project deficiencies that lead to cost and schedule overrun, as well as to performance issues. It will enable those involved in process improvement initiatives to include specific lean-related factors into their process analysis. It provides both managers and engineers with a common language and concepts to enhance the efficiency of their product development projects.