• Implication: Traditional accounting seeks to calculate standard costs for a product or service by assessing the labor and other (so called) direct costs required to provide the service or make the product, and then allocating associated support costs to the individual product orservice. Lean organizations do not focus on the cost of individual products or services; they focus on the total cost of the flow through the value stream. Tracking value stream costs and profitability provides understanding, insight, excellent cost control, and leads to effective continuous improvement.