What does lean management focus on?

Lean management emphasizes the systematic elimination of waste within an organization’s processes. This approach is rooted in the idea that maximizing value for customers is achieved by minimizing waste, which can take various forms, such as excess inventory, unnecessary steps in a process, or defects in products. By focusing on streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency, lean management aims to improve overall productivity and reduce costs.

In contrast, increasing production speed could lead to a rushed process that might not necessarily be efficient if it does not address waste. Maximizing employee hours worked might not correlate with productivity or value creation, as it doesn't consider the effectiveness of those hours. Investing more in marketing efforts does not align with the core principle of lean management, which is focused primarily on internal processes rather than external promotion. Thus, the focus on waste reduction makes lean management a unique and effective strategy for improving operational efficiency.