ABSTRACT
The secret of a company capable of prospering over time lies in its capacity to systematically conceive of new products that "excite" customers, to produce them in the most efficient way possible, and to get them onto the market quickly. Another aspect of traditional management that may limit the force of Lean innovation is, paradoxically, an excessive "faith" in planning as a tool for obtaining the right results. In order to run businesses capable of introducing Lean innovation, some traditional forms of management may be inadequate in many ways and could limit the innovative drive within a company. Relying on authority and "vertical" delegation to run groups and organizations is no longer sufficient to deal with the powerful need to spread responsibilities more widely in order to solve cross-functional and horizontal problems. Continuous improvement is a sustainable and enduring strategy for progress at both an individual and company level.
