Lean vs Agile: what are the differences, what do they have in common, and how can they be integrated into industry?

Introduction – Why Compare Lean and Agile Today?

The emergence of two methodologies to address modern industrial challenges

Faced with the growing complexity of markets, technologies and customer expectations, industrial companies are seeking to gain in agilityagility efficiency and adaptability. It is in this context that Lean and Agile have established themselves as two methodologies methodologies for structuring workstreamline processesand maximize value delivered to the customer.

The Leanstems from the Toyota Production Systemdeveloped in response to the challenges of production repetitive and demanding. It is based on the elimination of wastestandardization and continuous improvement. Agile, on the other hand, emerged in the 2000s in the field of software development.. It focuses on a team’s ability team to manage changedeliver frequent products or functionalities, and adapt work cycles to changing customer needs. customer.

These two approaches, although fundamentally different, are based on the same desire: to put the need need needs and responsiveness at the heart of theorganization.

These two approaches, although fundamentally different, are both based on the same intention: to refocus the organization on customer needs and responsiveness.

Companies that succeed in leveraging both Lean principles principles and Agile values succeed in aligning strategic vision with on-the-ground execution. Here are the shared benefits they can achieve:

• Performance performance performance
• Reducing time time to market for a product
• Strengthening team collaboration around a objective
• Better visibility of flows and bottlenecks
• Ability to adapt quickly to unforeseen events or changing priorities priorities

➕ Did you know?
In the pharmaceutical pharmaceutical industrysome laboratories combine Lean logic for managing production linesand an Agilemethod, such as Scrumfor the development of new medical devices. Result: improved control and costs, while remaining compliant with standards.

Understanding the Lean Method

Origin and Foundations of Lean

The Lean Management is a method for organizing that originated in the Japanese automobile industry, more specifically at Toyota. Faced with the need to produce better, faster, and with less waste, Toyota developed the Toyota Production Systema model based on the systematic elimination of non-value-added tasks, the optimization of flowsandcontinuous improvement. This model was gradually formalized into a Lean approachapproach, now deployed far beyond the automotive industry, in healthcare, services and energy.

The 5 Key Principles of Lean Thinking

1. Identifying value from the customer’s customer
2. Mapping the value chain to detect waste
3. Create a smooth seamless production flow
4. Pull flows based on actual demand (“pull” logic)
5. Striving for perfection throughcontinuous improvement

➕ Checklist: Are you Lean?
✅ Do you clearly understand what creates value for your customers?
✅ Have you identified the unnecessary steps in your processes?
✅ Is your production triggered by actual customer demand?
✅ Are your team members involved in the improvement of tasks?

Concrete Applications in Industry and Production

Lean is particularly well-suited to the realities of the industrial shop floor. Here are some common use cases:

• Optimization of OEE (synthetic rate of return)
• Reduction of microstops and series changes
• Decrease in dormant inventories and work-in-progress
• Improved management daily tasks
• Elimination of unnecessary operator movements

➕ Case study
At Nutrisetthanks to the integration of a PerfTraksystem, our teams have been able to eliminate hundreds of micro-stops per shift, significantly improving their efficiency and their uptime.

Operational benefits of Lean Management

➕ Key number
On average, our industrial customers are seeing of +10 to +15 points in TRS within 3 months of implementing Lean solutions such as PerfTrak.

Understanding the Agile Method

The Agile Manifesto: Core Values and Principles

L’Agile is based on a manifesto written in 2001 by 17 experts in the field of software development. It offers a iterative approach and customer-centricand adaptability to change.

➕ Myth vs Reality
Myth Agile = absence of structure
Reality Agile is based on a strong disciplinediscipline regular rituals and clear clear objectives. It is a framework, not improvisation.

Popular Agile Methods: Scrum, Kanban, SAFe…

• Scrum Scrum: ideal for complex projects with teams ≤ 10 people, structured around sprints and rituals (daily, review, retro).
• Kanban is based on the visualization of workflow visualizationperfect for continuous production and task management tasks in real time.
• SAFe designed for large companiesThe SAFe solution enables agility to be deployed at scale across several teams or departments.

➕ Practical tip
➡️ Choose Scrum to structure a project with deliverables.
➡️ Prefer Kanban to optimize an existing process.
➡️ Use SAFe if your organization requires multi-team management.

Agility as a response to uncertainty

In a context where needs evolve rapidly, theAgile approach avoids the time wasted by rigid planning. The team works in short cycles, regularly integrating feedback from the customerand adjusts the product priorities.

🛠 Example An industrial manufacturer wishing to digitize its checklists can use Scrum to develop a first version, quickly test it in the field, then improve the tool according to operators’ feedback.

Agile applications beyond IT

➕ Expert advice
Start small. Adopt a agile ritual Within a single team (e.g., daily meeting). Measure the impact, then scale up. Agility is not a revolution, but an evolution.

Comparing Lean and Agile: differences and complementarities

Different goals and visions

The Lean aims toprocess optimization to create a lean flow, whileAgile focuses on value delivered to the customerwith the ability to manageuncertainty. Lean focuses on workflowsfrom Agile to product flexibility. Both share the common goal ofcontinuous improvementbut through different levers.

➕ Myth vs Reality
Myth Lean and Agile are incompatible
Reality They are complementaryand their synergy can boost performance of industrial teams.

Timeframe, management, tools, and governance

Two compatible logics: the Lean-Agile concept

The Lean-Agile brings together the structuring framework of Lean with the flexibility of execution of Agile. It’s a hybrid approach that enables :

• Keeping a clear strategic course (Lean)
• Adapt quickly to changing conditions (Agile)
• Mobilize teams aroundobjectives objectives
• Reduce lead times without sacrificing quality

➕ Key benefit
The Lean-Agile organizations are able toinnovate fasterwhile maintaining operational discipline.

Example of Lean-Agile integration in an industrial approach

🎯 Context : A plant wants to reduce line interruptions while integrating a new supervision system.
📍 Lean : It maps existing flows, identifies waste (waiting, re-keying, paper documentation).
🔁 Agile : A project team develops functionalities in 2 weeks, with operator feedback at each iteration.
📊 Result : Deployment time reduced by 40%, better adoption of tools by field teams.

How we integrate Lean and Agile at TEEPTRAK?

Fostering shop floor agility through real-time data

Our solution is based on visual dashboards that provide an instant overview of flowsand downtimeand machine performance. This enables teams to immediately detect the bottlenecksadjust priorities and make decisions in just a few clicks.

➕ Point of vigilance
Automating data collection isn’t enough: the challenge is to make it a tool for agility toolcapable of triggering immediate action on the ground – not simply a reporting tool.

Waste reduction and continuous improvement

By combining Lean and Agile, we help companies identify and eliminate:

• Hidden time (untracked waiting times)
• Frequent micro-stoppages
• Invisible production bottlenecks
• Duplication of tasks related to manual data collection

For example, in a food processing plant, our teams implemented rapid improvement cycles every week, fueled by field data. This enabled a 20% reduction in micro-stoppages within one quarter.

Support from our teams for quick and measurable gains

We don’t just deliver software: we offer a genuine Lean-Agile diagnosisdiagnosis, followed by personalized support. Our goal: to achieve a return on investment within a few weeks.

Our consultants work hand in hand with the teams to:

• Parameterize the solution in line with the industrial process local
• Train operators and managers in best practices lean
• Define measurable and aligned value and flow objectives

➕ Case study
Plug&Play implementation in less than an hour at one of our customers: the complete TEEPTRAK solution was deployed, connected and operational in less than an hour, with no machine downtime.

Customer testimonials: from +10 TRS points to +29% yield

Here are three real results from customer feedback:

These testimonials confirm the effectiveness of our Lean-Agile approach: teams regain control of the process processregain useful working timeand strengthen their cohesion around shared data.

Going further: tools and resources

Calculate your Lean-Agile ROI with our simulator

An interactive calculator enables you to estimate the gains in TRSgains avoided cost and return on investment. ✅ Call-to-action with internal link to “Calculate your ROI”.

Train your teams with the TEEPTRAK Academy

Our online training courses are available as soon as the solution is implemented:

• Gradual familiarization according to roles (operators, managers)
• Practical modules focusing on Lean, Agile, TRS
• Mises à jour régulières pour suivre l’évolution des outils

➕ Practical tip
Organize a monthly skills-building workshop in 3 steps:

1. Review of collected indicators
2. Workshop to identify an improvement lever
3. Field implementation with feedback

FAQ – Your Frequently Asked Questions about Lean and Agile

What if you switched to Lean-Agile right now?

At TEEPTRAK, we believe it’s no longer necessary to choose between stability and flexibility. Thanks to our intelligent industrial toolsyour teams regain control of time timeof flows and objectivesacting in real time.

📞 Tell us about your projectstest our ROI simulatorsimulator, or explore our Academy to take the first step towards continuous improvement.

➡️ Contact us today and breathe new life into your performance.