 In manufacturing, productivity is king. If you can do more with less, you have a better chance of becoming a successful company. Whether it's materials, time, or labor, everything should be done to cut out unnecessary steps, increase quality, and make a better product at a lower cost. These so-called lean manufacturing methods catapulted Toyota to dominance and made the Japanese car company's assembly lines the envy of CEOs across the world. Even businesses outside traditional manufacturing are now applying lean ideas, spending billions of dollars on their corporate programs. But what's the best way to go about establishing a successful lean approach? What exactly should managers do? A new investigation into some common-sense tactics reveals several surefire winners and a couple of surprising losers. In the study, researchers traveled across five continents to evaluate 36 factories of a single large multinational firm. Through surveys, on-site interviews on the factory floor, and performance data from the company, the team assessed five common management techniques, employing lean specialists, progress reporting involving all workers or through audits, and different ways of motivating workers, either with or without monetary prizes. The researchers found that dedicated teams of lean experts were beneficial, often serving as coordinators and coaches for the entire factory to transition to lean. The most advanced factories, though, used just a handful of carefully trained employees, hinting that too many specialists might begin to eat away at the advantage. Short, daily stand-up meetings also promoted lean implementation. These meetings take just five to ten minutes and involve everyone, from the shop floor to the top floor, to work out problems and improve the manufacturing process. But focusing too much on how well lean was being incorporated didn't usually advance the cause. Internal audits of the progress didn't help factories go lean, with one exception. Factories just starting out on their lean journeys did find audits to be useful kick-starters. For the most part, though, these management-led reviews did not promote the lean initiative. Financial awards to motivate workers to accept lean also failed, sometimes disastrously so. In one case, shop workers became so competitive that they began to sell their ideas. Instead, simple recognition of employees' contributions. A thank-you from the boss, or free pizza for a top-performing team, was more successful. Although the researchers had deep access to one firm, the study was relatively small, so they can't rule out benefits from audits or financial rewards. But the results suggest that businesses looking to boost their lean programs will have more luck sticking to cash-free incentives, shop floor-level troubleshooting sessions, and appointing a small but dedicated team of lean experts.