Applying Lean Thinking To R&D Project Management

Lean thinking is a highly evolved method of managing an organization to improve the productivity, efficiency and quality of its products or services. Japanese and American management Specialists developed the ideas and methods over the latter half of the last century. In the manufacturing sector, the concept is sometimes referred to as World Class manufacturing or high performance manufacturing. Lean thinking is best illustrated by using the manufacturing example. It bring out a firm’s customers are the final judges as to whether or not the firm has created value. Lean focuses on improvement and advocates techniques to control the material flow and information flow.This paper using a case study in SZ R&D center of S company to apply lean thinking on R&D project management. The author to study the new product R&D process and its project management base on value stream, and to find the three typical wastes which are scatter, hand-off and wishful-thinking in SZ R&D center. Suggesting the project management approach must to focuses on R&D value stream and R&D design process, to implement pull system for objectives and tasks, to eliminate any and all wastes and make sure the value stream flow is smooth so that shorten developed period, keep cost down, improve quality of products and enhance the satisfaction of the stakeholders.There are six sections in this paper. Firstly, to introduce the research background, content and purposes. Secondly, to describe the theory of lean thinking and its principles. Thirdly, to describe the current situation of the SZ R&D, and then to find the wastes while new product development in SZ R&D. Fourthly, to research how to apply lean thinking to SZ R&D project management to shorten project cycle time within budget and no quality issue. Fifthly, to describe the practice by using lean project management on SZ R&D, also the principle of applying lean project management. Lastly, the research work was summarized and the main research results and the weak points of the paper, finally analyzes a prospect of research of this paper.