IntroductionWork carried out in the first Supply Chain Development Programme (SCDP I), together with early work in the second programme (SCDP II), has shown that in order fully to understand the different value streams [1] in which the sponsors operate, it is necessary to map these intercompany and intracompany valueadding processes. These value-adding processes make the final product or service more valuable to the end consumer than otherwise it would have been. The difference between the traditional supply or value chain and the value stream is that the former includes the complete activities of all the companies involved, whereas the latter refers only to the specific parts of the firms that actually add value to the specific product or service under consideration. As such the value stream is a far more focused and contingent view of the valueadding process.At present, however, there is an ill-defined and ill-categorized toolkit with which to understand the value stream, although several workers (e.g. [2-5]) have developed individual tools. In general these authors have viewed their creations as the answer, rather than as a part of the jigsaw. Moreover, these tools derive from functional ghettos and so, on their own, do not fit well with the more crossfunctional toolbox required by today's best companies. It is the purpose of this paper to construct a typology or total jigsaw to allow for an effective application of sub-sets of the complete suite of tools. The tools themselves can then effectively be applied, singularly or in combination, contingently to the requirements of the individual value stream. Waste removal inside companiesThe rationale underlying the collection and use of this suite of tools is to help researchers or practitioners to identify waste in individual value streams and, hence, find an appropriate route to removal, or at least reduction, of this waste. The use of such waste removal to drive competitive advantage inside organizations was pioneered by Toyota's chief engineer, Taiichi Ohno, and

The application of lean thinking has made a significant impact both in academic and industrial circles over the last decade. Fostered by a rapid spread into many other industry sectors beyond the automotive industry, there has been a significant development of the lean concept. Despite successful applications in a range of settings however, the lean approach has been criticised on many accounts, such as the lack of human integration or its limited applicability outside high-volume repetitive manufacturing environments. The resulting lack of definition has led to confusion and fuzzy boundaries with other management concepts. Summarising the lean evolution, this paper comments on approaches that have sought to address some of the earlier gaps in lean thinking. Linking the evolution of lean thinking to the contingency and learning organisation schools of thought, the objective of this paper is to provide a framework for understanding the evolution of lean not only as a concept, but also its implementation within an organisation, and point out areas for future research.

Value Stream Management is a new strategic and operational approach to the data capture, analysis, planning and implementation of effective change within the core cross‐functional or cross‐company processes required to achieve a truly lean enterprise. This paper describes the method in detail including a summary of the previous Value Stream Mapping approach and its weaknesses. The new approach involves a strategic review of a business or supply chain's activities, the delimitation of key processes and the mapping of these processes. A description of how to analyze and synthesize these data is followed by a section on an approach to planning strategic and operational change together with a framework in which to do this. The benefits and limitations of the new approach are summarized.

Sets out an alternative approach to designing and managing a logistics system, which is called here lean logistics. Draws on research which has sought to extend the production system logic pioneered by Toyota beyond the factory gate and into industries other than automobiles. Starts by outlining the dilemma facing managers trying to implement new business practices and then proposes an alternative way of rethinking the logic of value creation, before illustrating how this works in a complete logistics system. Central to this new logic is a detailed understanding of the waste or inefficiencies that lie in existing systems. Such an understanding is required so that radical or incremental improvements can then be made in the development of a lean logistics system. Presents a framework to do just this called value stream mapping. Illustrates the approach with an example from the distribution industry. Also raises a number of key questions for the academic community in terms of future research and applications within the broad area of lean logistics.

Academic literature on Lean Manufacturing (LM) is widely available. However, due to its fragmentation, the contribution of LM from academic and practical perspectives is controversial. This paper establishes the practical implications of LM studies carried out worldwide and identifies novel research streams. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of peer reviewed journal articles was conducted. A total of 212 articles published in 52 journals during 2005-2016 were collected from four major management science publishers. An "affinity diagram" was applied to organize the data into natural and logical themes. Conceptual frameworks with regard to LM practical implications and future research direction were formulated. The results revealed the "vital few" academic journals which have published the majority of the LM articles. Meaningful themes of LM practical implications and future research suggestions were revealed and classified into two categories. In category one, themes related to the pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation phases of LM were identified. In category two, themes related to the country in which the companies operated, the diverse managerial systems available, and the methodological research approach were identified. Main themes supported in the literature by most references were determined. Finally, respective statements of practical implications and future research were also analytically presented.