Lean has been defined as a management philosophy that focuses on the elimination of waste and the creation of customer value, through implementation of a programme of continuous improvements to the efficiency of an organisation and its production processes. The literature on knowledge management recognises the knowledge embodied in an organisation’s management and workforce as a valuable resource in pursuit of the organisation’s strategic and operational objectives. Engagement and empowerment of employees at all levels of the organisation, drawing on their skills, knowledge, expertise and initiative to foster an organisational culture of shared learning and shared responsibility for the realisation of continuous improvement, is acknowledged as a critical success factor for the implementation of lean. These themes are the central focus of an extensive literature review of the areas of operations management, lean, and knowledge management, together with a case study analysis of a north Wales SME in the food processing industry. An integrated framework and survey instrument is proposed for the development, implementation and evaluation of a programme of operational and organisational improvement, drawing on best practice as documented in the academic and practitioner literature on lean and knowledge management.