Exploring Waste and Value in a Lean Context

• The purpose of this paper is to take a critical, analytical approach to the concepts of waste and value in the leanliterature and how the concepts are applied in organisations’ lean efforts and the ambiguity surrounding theconcept of value.A review of the literature of lean was undertaken with a specific focus of the definitions of waste and value. Inaddition, it is illustrated how four case companies work with waste and value within a lean context. Theliterature review revealed that there have been significantly more frequent and exhaustive discussions of wastethan of value. Waste is often related to the seven wastes, but value is rarely clearly defined. The cases show anexclusive focus on waste reduction, which we argue can result in a loss of value.This paper provides a critical review of the relationship between waste and value and some of the consequencescaused by the actions taken by companies regarding solely focusing on waste. This paper demonstrates the orderwinner and order qualifier dimensions should be regarded in the analysis of waste and value, and incorporated inthe lean toolbox. In the lean research literature there is lack of discussion of the actual value for the customer. Weargue that finding a special concept of value in the lean literature would be desirable, and elaborating on value asa specific tool in the lean toolbox, since the concept of ‘waste’ cannot replace the concept of ‘value’.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap -- Systemvetenskap, informationssystem och informatik med samhällsvetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications -- Information Systems, Social aspects (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Byggproduktion (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Construction Management (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

lean

value

order winner

order qualifier

Information systems

Informationssystem

Construction Engineering and Management

Byggproduktion

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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