Founded by james-womack to advance lean thinking and practice, LEI is the primary institutional vehicle for transmitting TPS principles to Western organizations. LEI publishes workbooks (including the influential "Learning to See" value stream mapping guide), hosts conferences, and provides lean education. The institute represents the "lean" codification of TPS — an accessible but necessarily simplified version of Toyota's system designed for non-Toyota organizations. LEI's publications, particularly those by John Shook (a former Toyota manager and LEI CEO), attempt to bridge the gap between Western lean tools and Toyota's deeper management philosophy.