When faced with complex or unique situations, companies often retreat from lean principles to fall back on previous practices. In this primer, Kevin Duggan describes the lean techniques that can be used when faced with difficult situations such as high product mix, scheduling problems, and unstable customer demand. The author illustrates a step-by-step approach with a case study based on actual experience. He goes beyond basic value stream mapping to show how to create future states in the real manufacturing world of multiple products, varying cycle times, and changing demand. An attached CD provides spreadsheets to help divide products into families and calculate resource needs.