ABSTRACT
One of the most popular definitions of Lean is eliminating waste. Too many companies have passionately used as many of the tools in the Lean toolbox as they could find, but then have been disappointed when progress has been made only in a few isolated areas, or has plateaued or regressed over time. Lean tools are powerful, are critical components of our Lean strategy, and deserve mention in our definition of Lean. But as a standalone description, they’re insufficient and can actually drive us down an ineffective pathway. Lean must become woven into the very fabric of our organizations, part of our culture. An obsession with improvement is quite different than the culture of status quo which exists in many organizations.
