Is it possible to achieve zero inventories? Why or why not?
Stopping waste is a vital part of lean. Using value stream mapping, identify some sources of waste in your home or dorm and discuss how they may be eliminated.
Why must lean have a stable schedule?
Will lean work in service environments? Why or why not?
Discuss ways to use lean to improve one of the following: a pizza restaurant, a hospital, or an auto dealership.
What objections might a marketing manager have to uniform plant loading?
What are the implications for cost accounting of lean production?
What are the roles of suppliers and customers in a lean system?
Explain how cards are used in a kanban system.
In which ways, if any, are the following systems analogous to kanban: returning empty bottles to the supermarket and picking up filled ones; running a hot dog stand at lunchtime; withdrawing money from a checking account; raking leaves into bags?
Why is lean hard to implement in practice?
Explain the relationship between quality and productivity under the lean philosophy.
