"Over the past two decades, companies around the world have faced unprecedented challenges to survive in the rapidly changing global landscape. In a world where technology is evolving at an exponential rate, the most successful companies are those that adopt the latest technologies to develop efficiently and profitably."

This is the view of Gigi Wang, Industry Fellow & Faculty at UC Berkeley's Sutardja Center For Entrepreneurship, who goes on to point out how the adoption of technology must be accompanied by a transformation in the organization of work. From traditional structures we need to move to more agile organizations with an open approach to new and improved processes, moving beyond the classic rigid mindset of uncritically preserving the existing based on the principle of "it has always been done this way."

The 'advent of the digital revolution thus imposes a radical paradigm shift by confronting companies with technological changes that in speed, scope and effect on systems will exceed what has been experienced in manufacturing and services to date. This is why the introduction of new technologies must be matched by cultural and organizational progress. Digital transformation therefore represents a great opportunity only for those who will be able to reinvent their business model and their way of "being a company" to make the most of the enabling technologies, which have now in most cases reached a solid level of maturity and reliability.

Lean Thinking, when fully understood and applied in its approach and tools, is the foundation of an evolved agile business model.

In fact, through the application of Lean methodologies and the related systematic reduction of waste and non-value activities it is possible, not only to make business processes smoother but, more importantly, to generate a profound cultural change in the 'organization.

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