Lean and agile project management concepts in the project management profession

Lean and agile concepts have been the focus of researchers and practitioners since 1990. The lean concept started in the Japanese manufacturing sector to eliminate waste and enhance customer satisfaction. Whereas agile was introduced into the 20th century manufacturing enterprise strategy report. The agile concept concentrates on quick response to variations in the market environment. The lean and agile concepts have emerged becoming managerial paradigms applicable to different industrial sectors and processes. However, the plethora of lean and agile implementations and settings makes the recent literature diverse and fragmented, and comprehensive analysis of the latest contributions on this space is deemed essential. Therefore, this research uses a systematic literature review of 160 related articles published in peer reviewed academic journals between 2012 and 2018. The study applies descriptive and thematic analyses to the recent trends in this area and provides a framework that organises lean and agile researched issues into developed, intermediate and emerging based on their position in the research lifecycle.