What is the primary objective of Lean as a technique for improvement?

Lean is a methodology for continuous improvement that originated from the Toyota Production System. Its primary objective is to eliminate waste and maximize efficiency in processes, allowing organizations to focus on value creation for customers while optimizing resource usage.

Key Objectives of Lean:

Eliminating Waste: Identifying and removing non-value-added activities from processes (e.g., overproduction, waiting, defects, excess inventory).

Improving Efficiency: Streamlining workflows to deliver products or services more effectively.

Enhancing Process Flow: Ensuring smoother and faster operations with minimal interruptions or bottlenecks.

Why Option C is Correct:

Option C directly describes the primary goal of Lean, which is to eliminate waste and increase efficiency in all processes.

Option A (maximizing profits) is an indirect benefit of Lean but not its primary focus.

Option B (improving communication) and Option D (enhancing customer satisfaction) are secondary effects of Lean practices, not the main objective.

Relevant Frameworks and Guidelines:

Lean Principles: Emphasize the importance of identifying value, mapping value streams, and eliminating waste to optimize efficiency.

ISO 9001 (Quality Management): Encourages continuous improvement, aligning closely with Lean methodologies.

In summary, the primary objective of Lean is to eliminate waste and increase efficiency, enabling organizations to focus on delivering value to customers while optimizing resources and processes.