Will infoq.com have a "Lean" section in the near future? Given the recent rise in blogs, presentations and articles on Lean subjects, don't be surprised if, in 2009, Lean will be the new Agile.
Lean is a process management philosophy derived from the Toyota Production System that aims to provide more value with less work. Lean originated from mass manufacturing, but has successfully been applied in other industries such as health care, travel industry, and services. That means Lean can also be applied in software development.
Although Lean is becoming more popular in the Agile community, the views on what Lean is, differ widely. Martin Fowler tries to avoid the entire Lean vs. Agile debate by stating that they are equal. Although the idea of keeping Lean within the boundaries of Agile has its appeal, not everyone agrees.