For fellow developers worried that "Lean" is just a buzzword, I've got two books to recommend:
"Lean Software Development" by Mary Poppendieck. Talks about what Lean Manufacturing principles look like when applied to software development: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0321150783
"Toyota Kata" by Mike Rother. Nominally about Toyota's personnel management. Actually about the philosophy behind Lean, and how most American companies trying Lean are missing the deeper point. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071635238
To me, Lean is what you get when engineers think sufficiently hard about the nature of business. It is deeply different than the MBA dogma that passes for business thinking in the US.
"Lean Software Development" by Mary Poppendieck. Talks about what Lean Manufacturing principles look like when applied to software development: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0321150783
"Toyota Kata" by Mike Rother. Nominally about Toyota's personnel management. Actually about the philosophy behind Lean, and how most American companies trying Lean are missing the deeper point. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071635238
To me, Lean is what you get when engineers think sufficiently hard about the nature of business. It is deeply different than the MBA dogma that passes for business thinking in the US.