Design for Lean: Building flow and eliminating waste from the very beginning
                     Design For Lean:
Building Flow & Eliminating 
Waste From The Very 
Beginning
BMGI India | Operational Excellence & Innovation 
Consulting
www.bmgindia.co
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Why Design for Lean Matters
• 70–80% of lifecycle costs are determined in the design phase
• Poorly designed workflows lead to inefficiency, rework, and higher 
costs later
• Embedding Lean principles in design ensures processes are right the 
first time
• Early elimination of waste improves speed, quality, and margin
Principles of Design for 
Lean
• Focus on Value as defined by the customer
• Build Flow across the end-to-end design process
• Remove waste early before it reaches production or operations
• Create flexibility and scalability in processes and systems
• Ensure alignment between customer, process, people, and 
finance outcomes
Typical Sources of Waste in Design
• Over-engineering and unnecessary complexity
• Excess iterations and rework
• Delays in approvals or handoffs
• Poor knowledge transfer between functions
• Inadequate consideration of manufacturability or serviceability
Tools for Design for Lean
• Value Stream Mapping (VSM): Identify bottlenecks in the design 
process
• Design for Six Sigma (DFSS): Build quality into the design stage
• TRIZ methodology: Resolve contradictions systematically
• Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA): Prevent defects 
early
• Workflow management tools: Standardize and streamline 
design steps
Benefits of Applying Design for Lean
• Reduced development cycle time
• Fewer defects and shorter correction loops
• Lower cost of poor quality
• Improved first pass yield in production
• Faster time-to-market with reliable performance
• Sustainable capacity optimization
Case Example
FMCG Packaging Redesign
• Problem: High material cost and frequent design rework
• Approach: Applied Value Stream Mapping and DFSS during the 
design stage
• Outcome: Reduced packaging material use by 12% and design 
cycle time by 20% while improving durability
BMGI India’s Role in Design for 
Lean
• Recognized Design for Lean consulting company in India
• Expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, TRIZ, and DFSS
• Customized frameworks for FMCG, pharma, manufacturing, and 
energy
• Hands-on management training courses to build internal 
capability
• Proven success in embedding process excellence from the design 
phase
Takeaway
• Design phase is the best place to remove waste and build 
efficiency
• Lean principles create flow and align teams early
• BMGI India helps organizations design smarter, execute faster, 
and sustain results
Breakthrough Management 
Group
India Private Limited
Location: 905/906 Raheja Chambers, 213 Nariman Point,
Mumbai, Pin-400021, India
Phone: +91 22 4002 0045/46 |  Email: [email protected]