Lean in American way? in Japanese way?

Entended from my last post "The different between American and Japanese management styles", I want to talk more about the the differet of the way they consider in lean manufacturing as well as its implementation. Here is also a blog post from Steed Wei "Lean in American way, Lean in Japanese way" for your reference. The ways of thinking for lean manufacturing is also different as their management style.

The different ways of thinking in lean between Amercian and Japanese,

1. As other management tools, such as balance score card, American thinks that lean manufacturing concept is also a tools only. How do you treat your tools? Put them in a toolbox and seek them when you need? They are using lean as a tools to force their employee to change, force them to continuous improvement. There is no culture change involved in implementation. From the cradleland of lean, actually, Japanese does not know what is lean but they called that concept in "TPS" (Toyota production system). Japanese way of lean is a culture and it is important to spread the culture to everybody in company. They need the employee fully understand the lean concept as their original thinking. All the continuous improvement actions are issued from their wills, and no need to force by senior management. In my last trip to Japan, I asked the Japanese consultant that, "is that all the Japanese companies implement lean concept?" The consultant replied, "yes, all the companies here understand the lean concept, but they only apply parts of tools for their company. They only apply the tools they needed in necessary."

2. American way of lean is focusing on short term result. As they think that lean is tools, any kind of tools would give the return or payback to its value. They spent money on investment to get a lean leader and Kaizen promotion officer, they spent on training and the charge from external consultant. They always ask for return, "How much saving we can get annually?". They need a schedule of actions, and they also need a budget they can save. They will give up some long term project to improve because of its result is not significant in the financial report. Japanese thinks in the way that lean is their responsibility. No matter it is a project in long term or short term, if the project has the benefit to their company, they will implement and push the project. They would never ask for a budget plan for how much they can saving, but they will have a summary for how much they did save. The summary is a prove they are improving the process in right direction and to motivate the people to continuous.

3. American way of lean is focusing on the holistic change, not only the manufacturing process, the logistic flow, supply chain flow, information flow even the office are also considered to changed in one shoot. As the Japanese consultant replied, they are not implement the lean concept totally. They are only focusing the critical point of their company and apply lean concept to that area accordingly. As we know, Japanese culture is focusing on the detail, they apply the lean into the area and they continuous to improve until they felt it was perfect. Offcause, for Japanese culture, it has no sense of perfect, it only has better, and better.

Any more ideas from you?