Here is a very positive sounding description of a lean effort in the packaging/printing industry. This is short on details, but provides a decent overview of lean as a “total enterprise strategy.” That said, the article talks about specific tools used: 5S, setup reduction, and value stream mapping. You've got to start somewhere…
I agree that it almost doesn’t matter which tool you start with as long as you start. My last client wanted to start with Visual Management. There was some question at operator and supervisor levels as to where visual devices fit in strategically (another idea-of-the-month?) but with training and introduction of a management process to keep things moving forward, it stuck and other elements of lean/TPS began taking root.