Part II. Applying Lean Principles

Policies are many; principles are few. Policies will change; principles never do.

John C. Maxwell¹

1. John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You (Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 79.

There are seven Lean principles—that’s it. They are

1. Focus on the customer and eliminate waste.

2. Automate processes.

3. Continuously improve.

4. Empower the team.

5. Build quality in.

6. Plan for change.

7. Optimize the whole.

Whether we are applying Lean principles to manufacturing, financial services, government, or integration, the principles remain the same and have been proven to work. To a large degree, they are common sense, which makes Lean a simple idea and is the essence of its effectiveness. Lean works because the concepts are easily understood. And in the world of integration, where a wide variety of individuals, business functions, and organizations need to work together to achieve optimal outcomes despite constant changes, it is essential to have an anchor around a small number of memorable principles.

Part II of this book explains these principles in the context of data and process integration. In this part we explain the importance and relevance of each principle, provide examples of how to apply them, and then bring them to life in the context of real-world case studies.