Often misunderstood as a subset of Agile, Lean is a distinct methodology with its own primary objectives — eliminating waste and improving operational flow. While not a part of the Agile framework itself, Lean principles heavily influence many Agile methodologies and practices, particularly in software development.
Understanding Lean's Distinction from Agile
Based on its origins in manufacturing (like the Toyota Production System), Lean focuses intensely on optimizing value delivery by identifying and removing activities that do not add value from the customer's perspective (waste).
The provided reference explicitly states: Often misunderstood as a subset of Agile, Lean is a distinct methodology with its own primary objectives — eliminating waste and improving operational flow. This highlights that Lean operates independently with a specific focus, even though its principles are highly relevant in Agile contexts.
Core Principles of Lean
Lean is guided by several key principles, including those mentioned in the reference:
- Eliminating Waste: Identifying and removing any activity or process step that doesn't add value for the customer. In software, this might include unnecessary features, delays, handoffs, excessive documentation, or defects.
- Improving Operational Flow: Ensuring work moves smoothly and continuously through the system with minimal interruptions or bottlenecks.
- Respect for People: Lean strongly emphasizes respect for people by involving employees in a culture of continuous improvement. This involves empowering teams, valuing their input, and creating a safe environment for identifying problems and suggesting solutions.
- Continuous Improvement (Kaizen): A relentless pursuit of perfection through small, incremental changes over time.
Why Lean Principles are Found in Agile
While Lean is distinct, its principles align well with Agile values and practices, leading to significant overlap and influence.
- Shared Focus on Value: Both Lean and Agile aim to deliver maximum value to the customer efficiently.
- Emphasis on Flow: Agile frameworks like Kanban directly apply Lean's focus on visualizing workflow, limiting work in progress (WIP), and managing flow to optimize delivery speed and predictability.
- Iteration and Feedback: Both methodologies emphasize short cycles and continuous feedback loops to learn and improve. Lean's continuous improvement directly supports Agile's iterative nature.
- Waste Reduction: Agile practices often inherently reduce waste by favoring working software over documentation, promoting direct communication over handoffs, and adapting to change rather than sticking rigidly to potentially wasteful plans.
Many teams adopting Agile practices, especially those using or influenced by Kanban, are implicitly or explicitly applying Lean principles to enhance their agility and efficiency.
In summary, Lean is not a component of Agile, but a separate, powerful methodology focused on optimizing value delivery by eliminating waste and improving flow. Its principles are highly compatible with and often adopted by teams practicing Agile to improve their effectiveness.
