Our series on Lean Alone is Not Enough continues--and we are getting closer to the nub of the matter: What is it that Jim Womack and Dan Jones overlooked-and what has that got to do with 5S? When the authors published Lean Thinking in 1996, they offered the world a book that codified the core principles of a key operational model. Though not stated directly, they created a profile for the Toyota Production System that was revelatory and highly useful, adding a deeper logic to JIT, standard work, kanban, load leveling, and other associated operational mechanisms.  

The impact of that book (and its model) was nothing short of dazzling. Its elements work-and work well together. Finally, a way of contemplating the war on waste (muda) that is drawn broadly enough for it to apply not just to many work venues-but to any work venue. This was a coup and a contribution of a very high order. Plus the lean thinking model positions marketing and sales as a partner to operations, a surprise to many at the time.