This document discusses lean thinking and its principles for improving organizational processes. Lean aims to maximize value and minimize waste from the customer's perspective. It was derived from Toyota's production system and has been applied in healthcare since 2000. The key lean principles are: specify value from the customer viewpoint; identify and streamline the value stream by eliminating waste; make value flow through the process by customer pull; and strive for perfection through continuous improvement. Methods like value stream mapping, Plan-Do-Check-Adjust cycles, kanban visual systems, buffering processes, and 5S are employed to standardize work and maximize safety, quality, efficiency and value.