A systematic method for implementing lean manufacturing that helps improve the production process and sustains gains made in the production cycle in an area or plant. The five phases are: 1) stability (provides an environment with controlled process variables, decreased waste and increased business impact); 2) continuous flow (characterized by reduced work in process inventory, time loss and defects, and increased process flexibility and repeatable processes between workstations); 3) synchronous production (characterized by disciplined process repeatability and synchronization between operations and customer requirements); 4) pull system (creates an environment in which material replenishment links operations with customer demand); and 5) level production (reduces response time or changes in demand and upstream schedule variability).