Traditional product development takes what author Durward Sobek, PhD, calls “a project view.” In other words, it concentrates on how you go from initial idea to manufacturing.
Lean product development takes a broader view. It’s concerned with “how you actually continually improve your project by leveraging the knowledge and expertise of your people,” says Sobek, co-author of the revised and updated Lean Product and Process Development.
In this recent video interview, he and Jim Morgan, PhD, a former global engineering director at Ford, amplify this idea of developing people as well as products.
“It’s critical that you develop products and people simultaneously,” says Morgan, who wrote two case studies for the revised book. “In other words, build [people development] into how you do the work, whether it’s design reviews or plant walk arounds. Always have an eye to how you are developing your engineers for the next generation of great products.”
Watch Jim and Durward compare and contrast Lean with traditional product development. Then visit the book’s page to grab a free download.
