Part II. Applying Lean Principles

Policies are many; principles are few. Policies will change; principles never do.

John C. Maxwell1

1. John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You (Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 79.

There are seven Lean principles—that’s it. They are

1. Focus on the customer and eliminate waste.

2. Automate processes.

3. Continuously improve.

4. Empower the team.

5. Build quality in.

6. Plan for change.

7. Optimize the whole.

Whether we are applying Lean principles to manufacturing, financial services, government, or integration, the principles remain the same and have been proven to work. To a large degree, they are common sense, which makes Lean a simple idea and is the essence of its effectiveness. Lean works because the ...

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