The document provides an overview of the history and evolution of lean manufacturing. It discusses key figures and developments that influenced lean thinking from the 1850s through the 1990s. These include Eli Whitney and interchangeable parts, Frederick Taylor's time and motion studies, Henry Ford's assembly line, and Eiji Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno's Toyota Production System. The core principles of lean focus on removing waste and only producing what is needed when it is needed to maximize value for the customer.