This plain and simple truth is fast being recognized:

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• Studies have shown that the best benefits in terms of productivity improvement are obtained by combining good management practices with IT investments. In other words, organizations should first improve their management practices and processes and then invest in IT or upgrade their current systems.

• Lean principles, tools and methods may be applied to the IT department. This is known as Lean IT.

• Many business unit managers, corporate planners; operations, administration and procurement managers and others concerned with efficiencies; IT professionals interested in improving not only information flows but also material flows which is often what really matters; process improvement practitioners, quality professionals, product developers, human resource and organization development professionals would benefit from Lean and Lean Six Sigma skills so as to help their organizations drive up productivity.

• The combined practices of Lean and Six Sigma improvement and systems know-how represents the next major leap in terms of large scale productivity improvements that can be driven in organizations.