Shigeo Shingo said, "Lean is a way of thinking, not a list of things to do." If so, why do many companies still see Lean Management as a Manufacturing improvement methodology? The number of companies exploring the opportunities coming with Lean Management outside of the Manufacturing space has been increasing since the early 2000s. Luckily. With their long-term success, companies like Toyota and Danaher proved the sustainability of thinking about Lean Management as a Business System.

Shigeo Shingo meant that Lean is not just a set of tools or techniques that you can simply apply to your business operations to make them more efficient. Instead, it's a holistic mindset that approaches problem-solving and continuous improvement. If we would try to translate the meaning of the quote, we could end up with the following definitions:

Definition 1 – "Way of thinking":

• Lean is a mindset applicable everywhere
• MUDA (Waste), MURA (Unevenness), and MURI (Overburden) is our enemy in every function and area of the company
• Improvements are Lean Principle-based

Definition 2 – "List of things to do":

• The number of kaizens drives our actions
• The number of [place a color] Belts defines success
• Productivity Savings value is the driving force behind actions
• Improvements are Lean Tool-based

To truly embrace Lean, you must adopt a "lean thinking" mentality and constantly look for ways to eliminate waste, improve quality, and optimize processes. This requires a deep understanding of Lean principles and values, such as customer focus, value creation, continuous improvement, and respect for people.

In other words, Lean is not just a set of prescriptive instructions or best practices to follow; it's a way of looking at the world and solving problems systematically and collaboratively. It requires a commitment to ongoing learning and improvement and a willingness to challenge the status quo and think creatively about delivering value to customers.

But how is this mindset built as a Business System, and what are the core elements, if any? The most important thing is to understand whatever setup your Business System has, it must follow Lean Principles (for the description of the 14 Management Principles, follow this Link). Typical targeted areas are:

• Strategy Process
• Strategy Planning Process
• Strategy Deployment Process
• Strategy Execution Process
• People Development
• Leadership Development
• Talent Development
• Coaching / Mentoring Program
• Overall Business
• Muda – Waste elimination
• Mura – Unevenness elimination
• Muri – Overburden elimination
• Manufacturing
• Safety Improvement
• Quality Improvement
• Delivery Improvement
• Inventory Management
• Growth
• Innovation Process
• Development Process
• Commercial Delivery Process

I was told by a friend that they have done Lean for a while and are now over Lean and focusing on Innovation. My response was: how do you have "done" Lean, and what kind of Lean Management system was it without having a focus on Innovation? A clear Business System with transparent areas to focus on and tools to use helps the organization to understand what to do and how to do it effectively and efficiently.