What has been created has many facets. For one thing, it may stand as something of an analogue to QS9000. QS9000 was developed in order to provide a common quality program in an industry where each of the customers has its own quality program. When it comes to lean systems, each of the customers has its own approach. SAE J4000 can be the common one.
Theory is nice, but practice makes things much more tangible.
The End Is Never Near One of the notable aspects of SAE J4000 is that it is not static. The four levels, from 0 to 3, describe a continuum, one with a fixed starting point but one with no end. That's the fixed starting point. The endlessness is described by the definition of Level 3, which has two parts. Lean is not some sort of instant fix, but a continuous commitment, one that may fly in the face of what might seem to be expedient.