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56 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2021 Welcome to 2021! We made it! I hope you all had a happy holiday season. Unfortunate- ly, we are still in the midst of the worst health- care crisis of modern medicine. My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones and have been directly affected by this tragic pan- demic. I offer my sincere gratitude to all the front-line medical personnel who have tireless- ly cared for the overwhelming cases we have been faced with. Many companies and individuals had to make life-altering adjustments in 2020 because of the pandemic, including reduced hours, telecommuting, and exam- ining how we do things in this "new normal." Although the cir- cumstances causing these chang- es are tragic, it forced us into be- coming lean. However, becoming lean isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's a focus of continuous improvement. So, it seems fitting that we open this new year talking about becom- ing lean as a part of continuous improvement. Let's look at what we have done already. It seems that 2020 took com- mand, particularly in how we go about our daily lives, both personally and professionally. Depending on where you live, restrictions, closures and in- teraction restrictions may all be a part of your life. To sur- vive, we had to adapt, adjust and emerge strong. So, when we talk of "lean," you may not be aware that you have prob- ably already implemented some lean philoso- phies without even knowing it. Where did you become leaner? There is no question you have adjusted to reduce costs. You may have reduced some manufacturing hours and workforce. Business travel may have been reduced or eliminated based on company policy and guidelines. These are direct bottom- line cost reduction measures. However, what we have also done is adapt. We may not be able to travel but we have embraced technolo- gy (albeit forced) and taken our meetings into Getting 'Lean' in 2021 Testing Todd by Todd Kolmodin, GARDIEN SERVICES USA