The Lean Advancement Initiative (LAI) at MIT, together with its Educational Network (EdNet), offers organizational members from industry, government, and academia the newest and best thinking, products, and tools related to lean enterprise architecting and transformation. LAI is a unique research consortium that provides a neutral forum for sharing research findings, lessons learned, and best practices.

LAI offers:

• unique opportunities to engage with customers, suppliers, and partners to solve problems and share organizational transformation experiences
• a portfolio of thought-provoking knowledge exchange events and meetings
• innovative enterprise transformation products, tools, and methodologies

LAI researches, develops, and promulgates practices, tools, and knowledge that enable and accelerate enterprise transformation. LAI accelerates lean deployment through identified best practices, shared communication, common goals, and strategic and implementation tools honed from collaborative experience. LAI also promotes cooperation at all levels and facets of an enterprise to eliminate traditional barriers to improving industry and government teamwork.

The greatest benefits of lean result when the operating, technical, business, and administrative units of an enterprise strive for enteprise-wide lean performance. LAI has concluded its fourth Enterprise Value phase, during which LAI engaged in transforming aerospace entities into total lean enterprises and delivered more value to all stakeholders than would have been possible through conventional approaches.

LAI is now in Phase V and is focused on providing research, tools, and leadership for more mature entrerprises.

Phase V Strategic Imperatives

• Provide value to all consortium stakeholders.
• Sustain the LAI consortium as a learning community among industry, government, the workforce, and academia to address enterprise excellence and take collective action for continuous improvement.
• Facilitate enterprise transformations within and between industry and government.
• Expand and diffuse enterprise transformation knowledge.

To accomplish these imperatives, LAI:

• develops products, tools, and proceses;
• fosters transformation;
• expands knowledge;
• facilitates education and learning;
• shares knowledge;and
• facilitates communication and collaborative activities.