Spain's Mercadona supermarket chain is able to offer the lowest prices in the country while out performing comparable Spanish and foreign chains. In 2008, Mercadona's sales per square foot was 60% higher than that of France's giant Carrefour, and more than twice that of an average U.S. supermarket. The key is a relentless focus on continuous product and process improvement. And that, reports Harvard Business School, requires treating employees and customers differently than most retailers.

Instead of requiring patients to move from department to department to receive their care, a process typical in most cancer centers, the team created the "non-moving patient" care model. In the new Frauenshuh Cancer Center at Park Nicollet, patients remain in their own comfortable room with views of a healing garden, while caregivers come to them. Services rendered in the patient's room include: lab draws, nursing assessment, physician exam, IV therapy administration and the scheduling of future appointments.

When Toyota moved production of mid-sized Tacomas to its San Antonio plant, the facility used the lean principle of heijunka or leveling to integrate production with the full-size Tundra. In a departure from Toyota's traditional practice of building more than one model in a facility, the plant had been dedicated to Tundras. Heijunka means the plant will alternate production of the half-ton Tundra and the smaller Tacoma one right after the other, rather using than the traditional automotive practice of building a big batch of one, then a big batch of the other. (San Antonio Express News)

In a traditional logistics system, suppliers often ship when they want and what they want. "That's like going to the supermarket and having other people put groceries in your cart," said Kevin von Grabe, co-author of the LEI workbook Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream, during an appearance on the Lean Nation radio show. He explained the advantages of  lean  logistics, including better supply chain visibility and predictability. He also discussed implementation, especially how to get suppliers and customers on board the transformation. Click the link to listen to the show.