Lean and Mean?

There are times when people think "lean" should also be called "mean." It is easier to use the savings from lean to cut staff, than it is to look for new and innovative ways to add greater customer value for the same labor cost.

This is one of the reasons for advocating the simultaneous adoption of both agile and lean methods. Agile provides a continuous lifecycle between strategy, delivery, and results. Results then form the basis for new strategies and new delivery capabilities, driving new results, etc. Agile, used as a continuous process, helps to discover new strategic investments for the savings resulting from going lean. Investments that payoff in increased revenues and profits - as opposed to just a bottom line impact of cutting staff.