TL;DR: Jim Womack explains how the term “Lean” was coined to describe creating more value with less waste–and how it became misunderstood as cost cutting. Nearly 40 years later, the real purpose of Lean remains respect for people and continuous improvement. In 2007, I sat down virtually with James P. (Jim) Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute, for Episode #24 of the Lean Blog Podcast. At the time, Toyota was continuing its march toward … Continue reading Jim Womack on the Origins of ‘Lean’ and Why It’s Often Misunderstood