In today's ever-changing market, achieving a high level of customer satisfaction is proving increasingly difficult; for service industries, it has proven even more difficult to achieve low costs and greater efficiency. Throughout the academic literature, I will generally introduce the key principles of Lean manufacturing and its processes, using USA Vacuum as a quick example to illustrate how Lean processes have significantly reduced costs and maximized efficiency. Additionally, the paper will discuss some of the issues encountered when installing an operational change, followed by suggested actions with supported documentation. To answer this question, it was necessary to select companies that have been influenced by Lean and have applied some of its processes in their service operations. First, looking at an American fast food restaurant Taco Bell, and second, looking at the emergency department of a Canadian hospital. Both companies see a lack of efficiency in their operations. Additionally, we will examine how Lean Manufacturing has actually influenced service industries in terms of processes and, more importantly, results. Finally, the document will conclude on the implications of lean production and the fact that it relies largely on the participation of everyone. Lean manufacturing is generally believed to have started in Japan, its key principles are to reduce all waste by eliminating activities that do not add any value, maintaining this principle throughout the supply chain, by creating multiple product streams, producing according to demand rather than supply, and emphasizing quality (Lee and Olson et al., 2008, pp. 973--987). Toyota has become the world's largest automaker, largely helped by the app...... middle of paper ......hip, pp. 1--5.Lee, SM, Olson, DL, Lee, S., Hwang, T. and Shin, MS 2008. Entrepreneurial applications of the Lean approach to service industries. The Service Industries Journal, 28 (7), pp. 973--987. Ng, D., Vail, G., Thomas, S., Schmidt, N. et al. 2010. Application of Lean principles of the Toyota production system to reduce emergency room wait times. Cjem, 12 (1), pp. 50--57. Radnor, Z. and Osborne, SP 2013. Lean: a failed theory for public services?. Public Management Review, 15 (2), pp. 265--287.Shah, R. and Ward, PT 2003. Lean Manufacturing: context, sets of practices and performance. Journal of Operations Management, 21 (2), pp. 129--149. Suarez-Barraza, MF, Smith, T. and Dahlgaard-Park, SM 2012. Lean Service: analysis and classification of the literature. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 23 (3-4), pp.. 359--380.