Educators should learn a thing or two from the just-in-time and lean production techniques used by the automotive industry, if they are to add value to the student experience as quickly and effectively as possible. That’s the conclusion of the report published in the International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management.

Meera Alagaraja of the Supply Chain Systems Laboratory at Texas A&M University explains how lean production techniques have transformed the automotive, construction, and service industries as well as health care delivery. The approach is built on the concept of lean thinking, which looks at the value chain and asks how can work be structured so that it does nothing but add value and do it quickly as possible?

A broader interpretation of this concept could readily be adapted to education, and in particular, adult education, Alagaraja believes. Of course, such a shift in approach would require rethinking current course design and delivery, but the benefits could be enormous, she says.

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