It's not just a method of educating operators but also of getting their input on the best way to do the work. Our next challenge is making cross-functional changes. It's easier to do lean in a self-contained plant or distribution-center, but truly dealing with supply chain is looking at all steps.

Do we understand the lean philosophy? Is management walking the talk? We need to be coaches and scientists, constantly looking at how work is done and how we can correct problems.