This manual is intended for product development (PD) personnel working on improving their
own processes, and the lean change agents working with them. Its aim is to provide practical
guidance for applying lean concepts to PD process improvement—specifically, PD Value Stream
Mapping (PDVSM). Although sources will be cited, and further reading suggested, this manual
and some basic background in lean should be all that is required to start improving product
development processes.
This manual is focused on PD process improvement. It is based directly on Lean Aerospace
Initiative (LAI) research and member experience. The content is well grounded in research, and
(where it exists) theory, and extensive endnotes and references are included. However, it is not
an academic monograph. It is an attempt to capture the knowledge and best practices of the LAI
PD community to date. PD process improvement is an active and rapidly advancing area of
practice, and it is expected that periodic updates to this manual will be required. The LAI PD
community would be delighted to know if your practices reinforce, contradict, or have moved
beyond the content of this manual.