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…
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Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. His latest book is Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. He also published the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus.
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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.