KIRK D. ZYLSTRA is an independent consultant specializing in supply chain and manufacturing operations transformation. He teaches operations management and supply chain part-time at the University of Washington Business School in Seattle, Washington. He is a retired partner of a major international consulting firm, where he served major manufacturing, distribution, and retail companies during his more than twenty years with the firm. He has been a featured speaker at the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) and other conferences on supply chain and Lean manufacturing. For more information about Zylstra and Lean transformation, visit www.profit-chain.com.