Lean is about more than just implementing tools. It’s about a change in culture.
1) Develop a thorough understanding.
Immerse yourself in lean. Study the original masters. After gaining an understanding of  philosophy, read commentary from current gurus,

Why read the experts? Each has unique insights into different challenges. A successful program can’t develop until all options are evaluated and the best strategies are determined.

 2) Recognize both the necessity and the urgency.
The necessity is do or die. The urgency is immediate. Now what? You have to go lean for long-term survival, and you have to start immediately, but how? Find a passionate leader. He or she must be determined to do things better, faster and cheaper in all aspects of the business. According to Flinchbaugh, The journey is difficult but worth it, and in the moldmaking business, lean will determine who survives and who does not. A passionate leader is therefore a crucial need.

  3)  Focus first on the needs of the business, and only then on the tools.
A vision for the business must be established before implementing the tools of lean. Vision starts with the answers to these questions:
How will we improve customer satisfaction?
How will we improve profits?
How will we develop people?
If you solve real business problems related to these three areas [customers, profits and people], you’ll be fine,If you just implement tools, you’ll probably struggle.

  4) Involve the necessary people.
Lean must take into account all stakeholders—including frontline personnel as well as middle and top management. Skipping anyone could set you on a perilous path toward failure.
One of the hardest challenges for managers is letting go of the “Do as I say” mentality. For lean to work, management must relinquish some control to employees. A way to put managers’ minds at ease in this situation is to have them actively involved in the lean transformation and training of employees. Success at lean requires change, improvement and innovation that touch everyone.

  5) Provide hands-on leadership, not just support.
If a lean program, or any other program for that matter, is failing, it is probably not the fault of the tools,It is failing because of lousy leadership.
The truth is that nearly every manager goes into lean with the best intentions to stay involved. Then the phone rings, and a customer needs attention. In an instant, good intentions are lost, and it’s back to the firefighting routine.

 Distraction is inevitable—making passion for lean all the more important. Remember: lean is not just a business goal; it’s a requirement for survival. Success requires everyone’s attention, including upper management, every day. If top management can’t take a hands-on approach to implementing lean, it will surely fail.         

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