In this interview published by carrozzeria.it, Eddy Conzato explains how his company has become the first Italian Bodyshop to apply lean and green principles. This article is in Italian only.

A lean transformation process provides many operational performance benefits: shorter delivery times, higher stock turnover ratios, better product quality, shorter time to market. These operational benefits sooner or later have a significant impact also on cash flow and profitability. But these are not the only benefits: perhaps the main result of a lean transformation is the change it brings about in people and their way to look at their job. The main aspects of this change in our experience are: a better sense of responsibility, a better orientation toward results, an improved sense of belonging to the organization, a better focus on common goals, a gradual disappearance of clans and bands. In particular the tension toward continuous improvement, which is one of the corner stones of lean transformation, is probably the most significant result because it creates a new style, a new mentality that encourages people to constantly pursue perfection. Starting a lean transformation process and getting the results shown above is by no means an easy task and it requires a proper approach based on a correct methodology without which projects often fail or get modest results. After working for more than ten years with medium sized companies we have developed a methodology that allows us to manage these projects with a high probability of success. Our approach is based on the assumption that the success of a lean transformation project depends not only on the competences of the consultants, but also on their ability to manage the human aspects of the project and to create the right team spirit. The decisive factor is the capacity to work as a team and to motivate all the people involved. The purpose of this article is that of clarifying the main problems we have to face in a lean transformation project and how our method handles them. This article has been written by Maria Cristina Rota, Alberto Canepari and Nicola Gianesin and is in Italian only.

Entrepreneurship is recognized as a major driver of innovation and economic growth. Lean is a set of methods to improve the business by: increasing sales through better satisfying customers, reducing costs by eliminating waste, sustaining growth by developing employees. In this article, published by Enterprise Digest, Michael Sheriff explains why lean is good for entrepreneurs, especially in developing countries.

Michael Sheriff explains why and how lean tools and methods may be useful for enterprises in Africa and Nigeria.

In organisations moving towards lean management, the value stream manager has profit and loss responsibility. Traditional accounting structures do not support organisation by value stream and rarely enable effective decision-making by value stream managers. Lean accounting seeks to replace traditional accounting, providing more timely and more relevant management information. Lean accounting also applies the lean philosophy to the finance process, radically stripping out transactions and complexity. This article reviews some of the lessons learned from an actual lean accounting implementation.

Summary of the subjects and of the partecipants' comments to the Lean Accounting Master Class held at La Fornace dell'innovazione in May 2009.

Slides of the Key Note Presentation by Ross Maynard at the First International Lean Accounting Meeting in Italy, held at La Fornace dell'innovazione.

Short Summary by Lino Canepari of the First International Lean Accounting International Meeting held in April 2009 at La Fornace dell'Innovazione.

Ross Maynard explains how lean accounting principles could help you to revulutionise standard costing by improving the "flow" in your organisation

Lean management is all about streamlining processes, localising decision-making and waste management. Central to this, argues Ross Maynard, is the accounting team.What does it mean to ‘lean’ an organisation’s accounting function, and where does it leave the accountant?