Lean Methodology: what is it and how to apply it in your business?

Create one . This is something that can be said and heard very easily, but the truth is that materializing a business idea and making it successful is something that cannot be achieved overnight; it takes time, investment and trained people to make it possible.

But what if we told you that we have found a method that will help you create a successful business in less time and with less investment?

Yes, in this text we will introduce you to the lean methodology, a method based on experimentation that can help you materialize that idea that is on your mind in a much safer, faster and cheaper context. Here we go!

What is the Lean methodology?

The lean methodology, or also known as the lean startup approach, consists of improving all the processes in the creation, start-up and development of a company.

The main thing about the lean methodology is avoid waste, make the most of the resources already available and constantly improve processes to obtain more and more efficient results.

It gained a lot of strength in 2011, with the work of Eric Ries “”, which aims to help entrepreneurs reduce the time and cost when creating and developing a company, a startup or a product through hypothesis and experimentation.

Do not panic! By this we do not mean that you have to put on a white coat and enter a laboratory to be a successful entrepreneur, but to experiment to validate your hypothesis and draw conclusions based on objective data.

In order to create market proposals that are really viable and have a high probability of success in a short time – and using the justly necessary resources.

In fact, the lean method is the methodology used by most entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Read on, it’s worth knowing!

How did the Lean Manufacturing methodology come about?

As we mentioned before, the concept of lean manufacturing was revived by Eric Ries in 2011 and, initially, it was devised for high-tech companies, but over time it has been expanded and has proven its applicability to any sector, company or industry. person who wants to introduce a new service or product on the market or improve the one they already have.

See also  Video SEO: 11 techniques to optimize your videos for Google

However, the lean method is a philosophy that was developed in the 1980s by Toyota engineer Taiichi Ohno, created to be used by all car manufacturers in Japan.

This method focuses mainly on the saving effort and means to manufacture the specific products that customers need. Japanese factories applied this method to reduce factors such as over-production, waiting times or excess processing that negatively affected the final result.

How to apply the Lean methodology in a startup?

1. Application of the Lean method in the creation of a business

Suppose you want to become an Infoproducer and you want to offer ebooks on the Internet about motivation and personal development.

One way to apply this methodology to your business is investing a minimum amount of time and money, and offering it to a specific public (and then collecting their opinions regarding the product).

This will allow you little by little to improve your proposal, get to know your buyer persona better, satisfy specific needs and structure all your ideas in a simple and adequate way to, finally, create a perfect product, launch it on the market and promote it through all the pathways you want.

2. Application of the Lean method in business development

When your business is ready and you are developing it, you can look to automate some processes and reduce costs. For example, if you create your own images for your ebook and for that you spend time taking the photos and doing the editing, you can start using a .

If you have an online course and need to develop a sales page, hire a payment method, create a virtual environment to host video classes and much more, you can to do all that and, preferably, without you having to pay monthly payments.

There is no single action you can take to adopt the lean methodology. The important thing is to understand what your processes are and how you can improve them, saving time and money in your work.

See also  5 infallible strategies to sell digital products on

What are the advantages of the Lean method?

  1. It allows to improve productivity thanks to the search for “zero defects”.
  2. It is a method that seeks to reduce costs thanks to the optimization of production processes and the elimination of unnecessary expenses.
  3. Greater customer satisfaction as you have more time and money to improve your product.
  4. It reduces the risk for the entrepreneur, since decisions are made based on data in hand and not based on assessments.
  5. It allows having a minimum viable product that meets the needs of a specific client.
  6. Reduce failure rate.
  7. It is a great way to obtain real, objective and reliable data that validates your hypothesis or business idea; In addition, the lean startup method allows you to discover behaviors of your clients that you did not know.

The lean system is ideal for those entrepreneurs who want to succeed without the need for large budgets, elaborate business plans or perfect products.

10 tips to apply Lean methodology in your business

  1. Organize your business before applying the method.
  2. Involve all members of your business or entrepreneurial project.
  3. Guarantee the support of your partners (if you have them).
  4. Small steps make big changes, keep it simple.
  5. Focus on creating, measuring and learning. Remember that this method is based on creating ideas into products, measuring the reaction and behavior of customers and learning from it.
  6. Act quickly to test your business proposal as quickly as possible.
  7. Put fear aside! If your business proposal turns out to be not as viable or interesting, you will surely find another one that is.
  8. Be creative. One of the biggest advantages of this method is that you can improve your product until it is perfect and original.
  9. Establishes will be your north when creating or developing new proposals.
  10. Get used to applying this methodology in your day to day life and whenever you have a new idea for your business, it will allow you to save time, effort and, of course, money!
See also  Financial planning: why is it important to take care of your finances?

Toyota: an example of a successful Lean methodology

Toyota is one of the most innovative companies in the world, in addition to being a benchmark in technology and management methodologies, its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, promoted the constant search for an ideal manufacturing situation, where people, machinery, equipment and facilities work together and in synergy in the creation of value without generating waste.

This is the most representative symbol of Toyota, with which the brand has positioned itself in the automotive sector to this day, this perfectionism in production processes, increased quality and cost reduction has led them to be the leader in its segment.

The Lean methodology has been crucial for Toyota to be a leader in its market, since through the 14 principles that constitute the Toyota Production System, Just-in-time Systems and Kiazen methodology, it has achieved the following results:

  • Market leader in automobile construction
  • Brand with 10.5 million cars sold in 2021
  • Market leader in the United States in 2021, something never before achieved by a foreign brand
  • 13.8% growth in the world outside of Japan in 2021
  • The best reliability and quality indexes on the market according to Auto Build and TÜV

Playing with trial and error is one of the most recommended ways to start a successful business. The lean method is a fast, cheap and effective way to detect the flaws in your business proposal, find out where you are going wrong, create an ideal product and grow in a scalable way.

Do you feel that you don’t have time to experiment over and over again with your proposal? or physical? Then you need to review this material in which we teach you .

Much success and good business!

Loading Facebook Comments ...
Loading Disqus Comments ...