For true Business Transformation, CHAMPS2 is far more useful than Lean Thinking, or so say the majority of delegates at the recent Transformation Expo held in Birmingham, UK in March 2009.

A lively debate was held at the Transformation EXPO in Birmingham between the advocates of Lean Thinking and CHAMPS2 to discuss which Method would be most suitable to support the Transformation of a Local Authority.

For Lean Thinking the case was put forward by Ged Bowles, West Midland RIEP and for CHAMPS2 the case was put forward by Nick Vat, the Transformation Programme Director at Swindon Borough Council, UK. 

Following a lively debate the outcome was quite clear, for true Transformation the majority of the delegates would suggest using CHAMPS2, whilst if teams need to undertake a smaller scale improvement as part of the Transformation they may well utilise Lean Thinking principles or an established improvement methodology for the Public Sector, such as SPRINT.