Lean project management

Projects are temporary production systems. When those systems are structured to deliver the product while maximizing value and minimizing waste, they are said to be 'lean' projects. Lean project management differs from traditional project management not only in the goals it pursues, but also in the structure of its phases, the relationship between phases and the participants in each phase. This paper presents a model of lean project management and contrasts lean and traditional approaches. Four tools or interventions are presented as illustrations of lean concepts in action.