A lean manufacturing strategy examines value from the
customer’s perspective and then redesigns the production
processes to enhance that value (Womack & Jones, 2003).
Systems are designed to minimize waste and produce
quality products first-time through (Kennedy & Maskell,
2006; Shah & Ward, 2003). Lean manufacturing is a ‘‘pull’’
strategy, producing only to customer demand. Firms in this
environment reorganize into cells and value streams (Womack & Jones, 2003) that allow them to focus on the value
generated by products or product families across all
functions.