Lean principles are derived from the Japanese manufacturing industry. The term was first coined by John Krafcik in his 1988 article, Triumph of the Lean Production System, based on his master's thesis at the MIT Sloan School of Management.fter formulating the guiding principles of its lean manufacturing approach in the Toyota Production System (TPS), Toyota formalized in 2001 the basis of its lean management: the key managerial values and attitudes needed to sustain continuous improvement in the long run.