"Lean manufacturing methodologies, as perfected in automotive companies like Toyota, can do much to eradicate waste from retail supply chains." So says a report from McKinsey & Company on North American retailers called "Competing in a Value-Driven World." It goes on to say, "Many of these techniques - such as simplifying work design, using pull rather than push to drive replenishment, removing bottlenecks in the supply chain, and eliminating all sources and types of waste - apply directly to the retail environment." The report - as the high-water mark in the retail supply chain. These companies profitably deliver superior and consistently in-stock levels by "choreographing various supporting processes effectively and efficiently."