A Proven Lean Business System
Customized & Branded Just For You.
A Proven Lean Business System
Built on the proven tools of the Lean Focus Business System™, LBS 4U™ provides a faster, more effective path to owning a world-class Lean Business System. It delivers a fully customized and branded system tailored to your organization — without the time, cost, and risk of building one from scratch.
LBS 4U™ Delivers the Right Tools—Designed for Your Organization
Sustained, profitable growth requires more than generic Lean tools. Your Lean Business System must reflect your organization’s strategy, operating realities, and leadership expectations. LBS 4U™ customizes the tools of the Lean Focus Business System™ so they align with how your organization actually works—ensuring faster adoption, consistent application, and lasting impact.
Your Business. Your Brand.
For Lean to be adopted and sustained, it must be clearly owned by the organization—not perceived as an external program. LBS 4U™ allows your Lean Business System to be fully branded as your own, reinforcing legitimacy, alignment, and leadership commitment across the enterprise. When the system reflects your brand, language, and visual identity, it becomes part of how your organization operates—not something introduced from the outside.
A Business System on Par With the World’s Best
Organizations with the strongest performance advantage don’t rely on isolated initiatives—they operate with an integrated business system that governs how decisions are made, how work flows, and how improvement happens. LBS 4U™ enables you to build exactly that.
With LBS 4U™, your Lean Business System can be applied across the enterprise—including growth, innovation, supply chain, operations, leadership, and people development—providing a single, coherent way of running the business. It is designed for public companies, private enterprises, and private-equity-backed organizations alike.
The result is not incremental improvement, but enterprise-level transformation driven by repeatable execution and sustained performance.
Built for Scale. Proven Across Industries.
LBS 4U™ delivers a comprehensive, continuously improved system that equips teams with practical, repeatable solutions—regardless of industry, geography, or operating model. True to the spirit of Lean, the system evolves based on real-world application, ensuring it remains relevant as markets, strategies, and operating conditions change.
This is how leading organizations institutionalize excellence—not as a program, but as the way the business runs.
LBS 4U™ Eliminates the Hidden Costs and
Risks of Building Lean Internally
Organizations that attempt to build a Lean Business System on their own often underestimate the strategic risk, time, cost, and complexity involved. LBS 4U™ removes these barriers by providing a proven, enterprise-ready system. With LBS 4U™, you avoid:
Generic Lean solutions that fail to align with your strategy, culture, and operating model
Outdated or fragmented systems that waste resources and limit long-term relevance
Compliance, intellectual property, and governance risks created by ad-hoc system development
Multi-year internal development efforts that routinely exceed $3M in total cost
Prolonged rollouts that delay results for years—often averaging three years
Scaling bottlenecks as Lean expands across sites, functions, or regions
Operational friction caused by disconnected, non-integrated tools and processes
Inconsistent or incomplete training materials that dilute impact
Low adoption and weak buy-in caused by systems that feel externally imposed
Inconsistent branding and messaging that undermine ownership across the enterprise
Instead, you gain a ready-to-deploy Lean Business System designed to scale quickly, remain current, and operate as a single, integrated way of running the business.
The High Cost of Building a Business System Internally
Building a comprehensive Lean Business System from scratch is a significant undertaking. Organizations routinely spend $3M+ and 2–4 years developing customized tools, templates, and training materials—often without achieving a fully integrated, scalable system.
This effort requires deep expertise and sustained investment across critical areas including innovation, sales, marketing, operations, supply chain, leadership, and foundational management processes. Even then, internally built systems frequently suffer from inconsistency, stalled adoption, and limited ability to scale. In parallel, organizations must navigate complex intellectual property, compliance, and governance considerations, further extending timelines and increasing risk.
LBS 4U™ provides a faster, lower-risk alternative. Rather than investing years and capital to design a system from the ground up, LBS 4U™ delivers a proven, enterprise-ready Lean Business System—fully customizable, immediately deployable, and validated across industries to drive measurable results at scale.
Who LBS 4U™ Is For
(and Not For)
LBS 4U™ Is a Strong Fit For Organizations That:
✓ Want to own their Lean Business System rather than rely indefinitely on external consultants
✓ Have leadership teams committed to deploying Lean as an enterprise operating system, not a set of isolated tools
✓ Intend to scale Lean consistently across functions, sites, or regions
✓ Value standardization, governance, and discipline as enablers of speed and performance
✓ Are prepared to invest in leadership alignment, capability building, and sustained execution
LBS 4U™ Is Not Designed For Organizations That:
✓ Are looking for a one-time Lean initiative or short-term program
✓ Want to experiment with Lean without committing to enterprise adoption
✓ Prefer to assemble or customize tools independently without system governance
✓ Lack leadership sponsorship or accountability for how Lean is deployed and sustained
✓ Expect results without changing how the organization operates day-to-day
Contact An LBS 4U™
Advisor Today.
The Lean Focus Business System™ Foundation
LBS 4U™ is built on the proven tools of the Lean Focus Business System™ (LBS™)—a comprehensive business system trusted by Fortune 1000 companies and organizations worldwide.
LBS™ is designed to address the full scope of business performance, integrating strategy, execution, leadership behaviors, and continuous improvement into a single, cohesive system. Its strength lies in its holistic structure, integrated components, and a toolset that is continuously refined through real-world application across industries and geographies.
This foundation ensures that LBS 4U™ is not theoretical or static—it is a living system, proven in practice and built to evolve as business conditions change.
LBS 4U™ Case Study
JB Poindexter & Co. (JBP), a leader in the vehicle manufacturing industry with over 7,000 employees and $2.4 billion in revenue.
When JB Poindexter & Co. (JBP), came to Lean Focus, they knew their old production system wasn’t working the way it should. It was outdated, used inconsistently, and holding them back. They needed a better way to get all their business units on the same page and running smoothly.
The solution: LBS 4U™
We helped them select eight powerful tools from the Lean Focus Business System™, and together we built a custom solution. It was named the Poindexter Lean Production System and branded to harmonize with the JB Poindexter & Co. brand.
But building and branding the system was only part of the process. Our experts worked closely with the JBP team, providing training to make sure everyone was on board and using the PLPS every day. This new system didn’t just improve operations—it created a culture where people were always looking for ways to improve, making their processes smoother and their work more efficient.
Now, JBP’s business units run better than ever. Their teams are more connected, their processes are more efficient, and they’ve set a new standard for excellence in their industry.
LBS 4U™ Client Testimonials
“LBS 4U™ met and exceeded both the functional and aesthetic needs of our organization. The process of selecting the appropriate tools from the Lean Focus Business System™, which would eventually comprise our own business system, was a meticulous and rigorous one. Further, the branding process — through which we named the system and Lean Focus’ marketing partners designed the logo and created the branded presentation materials — made a real difference in the spirit with which the organization adopted the new system. And finally, the results of applying the system have been quite encouraging, connecting multiple business units, creating efficiencies, and transforming culture. I would certainly recommend LBS 4U™ from Lean Focus.”
“When I joined Azenta, one of the first things I noticed was that we didn’t have a defined way of running the business. There were talented people and great intent, but no unifying system to connect how we set strategy, solve problems, or drive accountability. Lean Focus helped us change that through the LBS 4U™ process. Together, we built the Azenta Business System™ from the ground up — selecting the right tools, defining our core processes, and branding it in a way that our teams could rally behind. It immediately gave us a common language and framework for improvement. What I appreciated most was how tailored the approach was — pragmatic, fast-moving, and built for our culture. LBS 4U™ gave us more than a set of lean tools; it gave us alignment, focus, and a shared identity for how we lead and win as one company.”
“Coming out of our separation from Emerson, we needed to define our own way of running the business — fast. The challenge wasn’t just operational; it was cultural. We needed alignment, focus, and consistency to better leverage our scale. The LBS 4U™ process from Lean Focus delivered exactly that. Together, we created the Copeland Business System™ — a system that captured the best of lean principles but reflected our unique DNA. The branding process made a huge difference, helping our teams rally behind something they could believe in. We went from autonomous business units to a highly aligned enterprise empowered by a business system that guides how we lead, measure, and improve. It’s been a unifying force in our transformation journey.”
“Before partnering with Lean Focus, we struggled to align our continuous improvement culture across multiple manufacturing sites and support functions. Everyone was speaking a different language of “Lean,” and it felt impossible to drive one consistent system. LBS 4U™ helped to standardize our lexicon and framework with a consistent discipline and rigor around our continuous improvement events. Lean Focus helped us curate the right set of tools from the Lean Focus Business System™ and brand them into The MasterBrand Way™ — our own unified playbook for operational excellence. The combination of customization and visual branding created real energy and ownership at every level. Today, our teams are aligned, our metrics are moving, and our people are proud to call it ours. I’d recommend LBS 4U™ to anyone looking to turn Lean from a concept into a culture.”
LBS 4U™ is Applicable to a Variety of Industries
BIOTECH
CHEMICALS
AUTOMOTIVE
PRIVATE EQUITY
MEDICAL DEVICES
RENEWABLE ENERGY
BUILDING MATERIALS
AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
DISTRIBUTION & LOGISTICS
INSURANCE SERVICES
FINANCIAL SERVICES
CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
MINING & METALS
CONSUMER BRANDS
OIL & ENERGY
PLASTICS
SOFTWARE
& MORE
Organizations That Have Chosen LBS4U™
LBS 4U™ Senior-Level Advisors
KIRK HETHERINGTON
President LBS 4U™, Executive Advisor
LEAN FOCUS NORTH AMERICA
+1 (630) 800-8519
About Kirk
Kirk has led businesses through various stages of transformation in their Continuous Improvement journeys In previous roles as a President as well as Vice President and General Manager. Kirk started his career in non-profit management before moving into product management, marketing, and company strategy. He has been leading teams for the past 20+ years, facilitated numerous kaizens, and worked with companies from the Fortune 500, to Private Equity backed firms, and family businesses. Kirk is known for his high-energy leadership and driving meaningful results in all business climates. Kirk attended James Madison University for his undergraduate degree where he graduated with honors, and received his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
About Manuel
Manuel has over 20 years of experience in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development. He has initially provided support for lean business transformations at all levels as a HR Consultant and later by leading customer-focused Talent and HR organizations in multi-national companies (up to $2.2B and 40+ locations). His assignments include various Talent leader roles at Danaher´s Water Quality Business and Head of HR positions in Pharma and Biotech. As an entrepreneur he has (co-)founded start-up businesses and professional networks. He is passionate about applying lean and agile thinking to build, improve and sustain impactful HR and talent practices, placing and developing key talent to drive the transformation journey, and building a lean leadership culture at all levels of the organization. Manuel holds a MBA (Diplom-Kaufmann) and Ph.D. in Business Administration (HR focus) from Essen University.
About Michael
Michael is the CEO of Lean Focus Nordic, bringing over 25 years of leadership experience. His career includes ~18 years at Danaher Corporation, where he held multiple executive roles, including General Manager/Managing Director Dentistry and Biotech businesses, as well as several VP Operations & Supply Chain and VP of Lean Business Transformation. In his role as Danaher Corporate Director, he was responsible for Danaher Business System implementation in EU. Most recently, he led Operations & Supply Chain of a $1B acute care diagnostics business, transforming it into one of Danaher’s most Lean-mature organizations.
An expert in driving transformational change, Michael specializes in implementing Lean practices and applying Lean business systems in large-scale organizations to enhance quality, delivery, innovation speed, and cost efficiency. He has successfully led cross-functional Lean transformations across diverse industries, cultivating high-performing, problem-solving cultures on a global scale.
Michael is renowned for driving radical business transformations and delivering impactful results. He excels in building enduring cultures of Continuous Improvement, anchored in collaboration, empowerment, and mutual respect.
About Tim
Tim Niewand is a senior operations and business transformation leader with nearly 15 years of global experience driving Lean transformation, strategy deployment, and commercial and operational excellence across diverse and complex environments. A hands-on leader, he embodies true Gemba leadership—personally facilitating Kaizens and leading cross-functional transformation initiatives that deliver measurable, EBITDA-driven results.
Trained by former Toyota plant managers and Danaher Business System leaders, Tim has facilitated more than 80 Kaizen events across 25 companies in 10 countries. He has built a reputation for translating strategy into execution—aligning teams, simplifying processes, and eliminating operational friction to unlock performance.
During his tenure with Danaher, Fortive, and Vontier, Tim held multiple senior leadership roles including Business System Director, Head of Supply Chain, and Head of Marketing. As a Business System Director, he played a central role in driving policy deployment, leading global transformation initiatives, and coaching executive leadership teams to embed Lean thinking across operations, commercial, and functional organizations.
In an operational leadership capacity, he led end-to-end supply chain transformations, delivering significant improvements in productivity, margin, and working capital while simultaneously improving safety, quality, and employee engagement. He has also led M&A integrations, establishing governance, execution cadence, and cross-functional alignment to accelerate value capture.
He serves as Board Vice Chair of Cornerstone College and has previously held Non-Executive Director roles within aged care organizations, bringing governance, financial oversight, and strategic guidance.
Tim holds a Senior Executive MBA from Melbourne Business School, a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace (First Class Honours), and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Aviation (Distinction) from RMIT University. He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Start A Conversation With An LBS 4U™ Advisor
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Lean Focus
North America
P: +1 (630) 800-8519
E: [email protected]
Lean Focus
Europe
P: +49 173 2505762
E: [email protected]
Lean Focus
Nordic
P: +45 4030 3080
E: [email protected]
Lean Focus
Asia Pacific
P: +61 458 967 510
E: [email protected]
International Phone Number: +1 (630) 800-8519
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