Process Design for Flow (PDF) is a fundamental LEAN principle which is about having the right materials , tools and resources at the right point of time in the right place, in right quantities to ensure Customer deliveries with minimal wastage of time, material & other resources. Designing layouts and material & information flow methods with the above principle in context is what PDF is all about.

In case of a knowledge industry, or where activities & outcomes are a result of mental effort rather then Physical effort, requires a different approach to enable Flow or to ensure Customer delivery with minimal wastage of time & effort..

Works of Mihaly csikszentmihalyi on Flow, (the psychology of optimal experience) provides the foundation for determining PDF in knowledge based industries. An individual is most productive when his skills and the challenge at hand are in sync thus creating an experience of flow.

Organizations should invest there resources & time in ensuring that employees & teams have the right set of skills for the challenge at hand. employers should create & maintain such conditions to maximize overall productivity by creating an Optimal flow environment.