Lean in English means flexible, slender, greaseless. The model lean is a slender process of manufacturing. The slender word refers to the description of a company or process free of waste and inefficiency and that is carried out with the minimum of resources. It is a management tool of continuous improvement which dramatically decreases the time in which the customer places an order until it receives the product or service, by eliminating waste or unnecessary activities that do not add value to the process.
