We talk about “lean” at PalletOne. It occurs to me that many of you weren’t here when it was first introduced.

“Lean” companies believe that customers only want to pay for “value”.

They further believe that the way to “value” is to eliminate any waste that is associated with producing the product.

A good way to think about waste is whether there is wasted time, wasted material or wasted motion. The “lean” company is adept at self-study. They look for wasted time, material and motion and, when they see it, take action to make it better.

A “lean” company treats eliminating waste with a religious devotion. They remain humble, believing they can always be better. They remain diligent, always alert to opportunities to improve. They remain accountable, everyone knows the standard and acts to maintain it.

As you read this, ask yourself: “Is this true of the area where I work?”

If the answer is yes, perhaps this sheds some light on how the culture has developed.

On the other hand, if the answer is no, you have a basis to speak up. You can say “we aren’t as lean as we should be”. You can say “here’s some waste we can attack.”  We can be accountable for making our service and products better.