Understanding lean thinking
The key concept in lean thinking is ‘value’. Value is defined
as the capability to deliver exactly the (customized) produc
or service a customer wants with minimal time between the
moment the customer asks for that product or service and
the actual delivery at an appropriate price [11]. By defining
‘what customers want’, process-steps can be divided in
value-adding and non-value adding. Value adding activities
contribute directly to creating a product or service a customer
wants. Non-value adding activities do not and are called
waste. Of course, waste needs to be removed or avoided