Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Everyone wants to be lean these days, whether when stepping off a scale in the morning or reviewing the cost of running a successful business. But just how do you define "Lean" — especially in the context of business and technology? Do you think of Lean as a way to drive down costs for technology solutions? Or does Lean conjure visions of streamlined business processes that deliver ever-higher levels of productivity and quality? Or does Lean mean creating a Lean business that delivers more customer value and innovation to compete in today's Lean economy? We assembled some of our top analysts on this subject and put them to the test in a no-holds-barred roundtable discussion. The truth is that you must embrace Lean from all perspectives — people, process, and technology — and focus as much on adding value as on eliminating waste.