The Lean Product Development System Model

The Lean Product Development System Model used at Toyota is an interesting one. It is divided in three primary subsystems : process, people and tools and technology. The 3 subsystems can be further defined in 13 principles (here's the 5 first ones) :

The process Subsystem :

Principle 1 : Establish Customer-Defined Value to Separate Value-Added Activity from Waste

Basically, defining what a customer values so we can suppress waste. There are 2 kinds of wastes

1. Waste created by poor engineering that results in low levels of product or process performance (think about crappy code or bad architecture).
2. Waste in the product development process itself (writing useless documentation, wasting time on communication, ...).

Principle 2: Front-Load the Product Development Process While There is Maximum Design Space to Explore Alternative Solutions Thorougly

Exploring alternatives technologies is much cheaper at the beginning of the project than at the end. Think about experimenting different frameworks, would you do that at the beginning of the project or at the end? Most project I've seen didn't even experiment different options, they just picked one and hoped for the best.

Principle 3 : Create a Leveled Product Development Process Flow

Flows are a great tools to show the waste in a process.

The people Subsystems :

Principle 4 : Utilize Rigorous Standardization To Reduce Variation And Create Flexibility and Predictable Outcomes

There are 3 kinds of standardization :

1. Design standardization (architecture, modularity and reusable or shared components).
2. Process standardization
3. Engineering skill set standardization (think about emphasing continuous formation in your enterprise).

Principle 5 : Develop a Chief Engineer System to Integrate Development from Start to Finish

A chief engineer is responsible for an entire project and can tell you its exact status. The chief engineer is not just a project manager but a leader and a technical systems integrator; it is to this individual that difficult decisions are brought for resolution.