ABSTRACT
Much has been written about manufacturing companies that have failed at lean implementations because they have only applied some of the lean tools and neglected to address the people or cultural side of their lean implementation. A natural starting point for businesses, when beginning a lean journey, is the application of some foundation-type lean tool, such as 5S (sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain), which is a simple workplace organization concept that everyone can understand and apply in their workspace. However, applying 5S and other lean tools does not make a company leanfar from it. The real goal of lean is not just the implementation of lean tools because that can be, and often is, perceived by employees as some sort of program. Lean is not a program, it is a way of thinking and seeing the world. It is a mindset. Individuals who are lean thinkers see businesses and the world as a collection of processes that can be taken apart and continually improved. Once you become a lean thinker, it is almost impossible to turn it off. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you are observant of opportunities to improve processes.
