PMO | What is Lean Project Management and Why We Need to Know It

Recently, everyone in my department has been very busy writing plans, justifying requirements, coordinating efforts, and conducting demonstrations. The planning meetings quickly fill up our calendars. However, the actual product delivery and user adoption are not looking optimistic. This situation reminds me of a fundamental concept in project management: Lean.

In Lean project management, it is essential to identify and eliminate waste within a project. The focus is on delivering the right results more efficiently by adding tangible value and cutting out what doesn’t contribute positively.

Lean approaches the problem by streamlining planning, simplifying communication, and validating ideas early on. It also embodies a mindset of continuous improvement (Kaizen)—delivering, learning, and adjusting quickly to keep projects lean, focused, and effective. If not, busy work will eventually lead to failure. 

The main problem is “Do people acknowledge the waste? How can we recognize the waste?” We will discuss next. ​