Of course, this is a hammer, but can you guess how many people in the world wanted this kind of hammer in 2022?

Difficult question? Perhaps you need to do some calculations for a rough estimation?

I can spare you the effort.

Here is the answer: 0 (zero).

No one in the entire world wanted to have this hammer. There’s something else a person wants when he or she buys such a tool.

Someone who buys a hammer may want to hammer in a nail. Yes, that is obvious I know. Maybe, however, this person is seeking for something else: hang a painting, fix a broken fence, disassemble an old cabinet… There are hundreds of reasons why a person might buy such a tool. It is by using the hammer that this person gets to the desired outcome. The tool is just a mean to an end.

The same is true for any Lean tool. They too are just a mean to an end.

Who wants to start an A3 problem solving process? Who wants to perform 5S, or do an SMED or TPM workshop? The answer is again, no one. People who apply these tools are seeking other things. They may be seeking to improve productivity, ease the work, improve quality, reduce costs, or to solve complicated problems.

This is a key aspect on any implementation Lean. Using methods just because they are the standard will not necessarily lead to the expected outcome. It is likely that tools will be seen as just one more formality to comply. In this case, the “hammer” is being used incorrectly. If a Lean tool is not delivering what you need, it might be time to change and adapt. Tweak a little here, change a little there, try another tool.

A tool is only a tool; what you want to achieve is central.

Clarify that first.